Stars Shine in the Dark
by IMTheresa
Summary: Sam is injured during a hunt and both brothers have to deal with the aftermath while also finishing the job.
1. Chapter 1

**Stars Shine in the Dark**

oooOOOooo

_The minute you think you've got it made, disaster is just around the corner_

_Joe Paterno_

oooOOOooo

She could hear the telephone ringing as she walked up the three steps to the porch. Her hands were full of bags after an uncharacteristic shopping spree, and she struggled with the door lock. She expected the call to go to voice mail, but she managed to get into the house and grab the phone after dropping the bags just inside.

"Hello?"

"Kristine? Are you all right? You sound out of breath."

She recognized the voice as belonging to Angelica Raines. "Yeah, I just got home, and had a problem with the lock. What's up?"

"I'm calling to ask a favor."

There was something in Angelica's tone that made Kristine nervous. "What favor?"

"You know we're leaving for New Zealand tomorrow night, right? For the writer's conference Keith is speaking at?"

"Yeah, I know they were really excited about it."

"Yeah," Angelica sounded sad. "Well, we just got back from the doctor. Nicholas has an ear infection. He doesn't feel very bad, but he can't fly. I'd stay home, but I have a few commitments for the conference and –"

"Of course they can come here," Kristine interrupted.

"Are you sure it wouldn't be too much of an imposition?"

"Of course not. You know I love having them around. I'll have to work, but between Ellen and Millie, I'm sure it won't be a problem."

"We're talking three weeks here, Kristine."

"It's fine," Kristine assured her. "Really."

"You have no idea how much we appreciate this. If we hadn't already–"

"It's fine, Angelica. I promise."

They discussed the details, then Kristine spent a few minutes talking to Alex and Nicholas before hanging up. She took her bags to her bedroom, then kicked out of her dress shoes and changed into a loose pair of jeans and a tank top.

-----

Kristine Ryan met Angelica and her husband, Keith, through one of her cousins. They'd been looking to adopt a child, and Kristine thought they'd be perfect parents for Nicholas and Alex Cordell. Their parents had been killed by vampires and the hunter who found them had brought them to the estate, hoping that Kristine could help.

Nicholas had started to have premonitions, which had caused some attention from the underworld. Even now, no one was sure if he was part of a new generation of special kids created by Azazel, but nonetheless, he and his brother had become part of the disorder brought on by Azazel's destruction. The underworld was in chaos, with different factions vying for dominance and one of the demons had hoped to use Nicholas in his takeover.

Angelica also had premonitions, and Kristine had hoped she'd be able to teach Nicholas how to deal with them. Also, she and her husband knew about the supernatural and hunters. A year into it, the adoption seemed to be perfect for everyone involved.

-----

Back downstairs, Kristine padded into the kitchen where she snagged a diet cola from the refrigerator before picking up the cordless receiver to call Ellen Harvelle at the main house. As she suspected, everything was under control and there was nothing specific Kristine had to deal with. She told Ellen about driving to Charlotte in the morning to pick up Nicholas and Alex, then Ellen suggested that she come down for dinner and a movie.

After her mother's death at the hands of Azazel, the yellow-eyed demon, Kristine had transformed the family estate into a haven for hunters. The main house had capacity for 20 hunters, but there were rarely more than a handful at any one time.

After her Roadhouse was burned down, Ellen had accepted Kristine's invitation to help run the place and within the last few months, they'd added Millie Stockton to their staff. Millie's husband had been a hunter, and she'd come to the estate after his disappearance, hoping for some information. Through her contacts, Kristine had learned that he'd been killed on a hunt. Millie had intended to only stay for a few days, but she was still there six months later.

oooOOOooo

"Sam!" Dean yelled as he ran down the stairs of the house he and Sam had been searching. "Sammy!"

With a big area to investigate, the brothers had split up hoping to get the job done faster. Dean was concentrating on his search when he heard Sam call for him. The sound was too far away to discern any detail, but Dean knew Sam wouldn't bring him back downstairs for no reason. He'd been on the top of the stairs when he heard the yelling, and he didn't hesitate before rushing to the first floor.

He hadn't been able to tell where the noise was coming from, but he had a general direction. They'd been tracking a vampire for a few days and had seen it enter this house. After scoping out the house and researching the ownership, the brothers had decided to check it out after the sun came up. They knew that vampires weren't allergic to sunlight like the popular stories said, but it could weaken them, and they tended to avoid it.

Armed with blades dipped in dead man's blood, poisonous to vampires, they'd made their way inside. Dean now regretted them splitting up, especially since he was having trouble finding Sam. He heard a crash somewhere ahead of him, and called for his brother. He didn't wait for an answer before running down the hall.

He found Sam in what had been the dining room. He was on the floor, and even from across the room, Dean could tell his eyes were closed and there was blood on his face. From the corner of his eye, he saw the vampire jump through a window. Dean ignored it, going to his brother instead.

With experienced hands, Dean checked Sam for injury. He saw the bruises already forming on his face, and he felt the bump on the side of his head, but he didn't think there were any broken bones. "Come on, Sammy. Help me here, okay?" Dean said, trying to rouse him.

Dean knew it probably wasn't safe to stay in the house, so he pulled Sam into a fireman's carry and got him to the car. It wasn't easy, but he got Sam settled into the backseat, trying again to wake him up. Hospitals were always a last resort, but Dean didn't think he had a choice. He worked on a cover story as he drove.

-----

Dean paced in the waiting room as Sam was being examined behind closed doors. He would have preferred a larger medical center, but he hadn't had much choice in the rural area. The nurse had seemed to believe his story, then passed him a clipboard full of paperwork to fill out. As always, the questions were answered with a careful mix of truth and lie. It was something the brothers had learned to do at an early age.

He'd made up a story about Sam being attacked by a mugger, and the hospital had been required to report the crime. A uniformed police officer found Dean in the waiting room, but Dean's skilled answers to his questions kept the interview short. A report would be filed, and no doubt a half-hearted investigation would be conducted, but Dean knew it would all end quickly.

Once the officer was gone, Dean looked toward the doors his brother was behind, wishing he knew what was going on. He'd just turned away, trying to distract himself when he heard them swing open. A moment later, he was talking to a woman who had introduced herself as Dr. Blake.

"He's still unconscious," she said before Dean could ask. "He's being monitored, and all of his vital signs are strong. As you can see, we're a small hospital, so I'd like to transfer him to a trauma center about an hour away. Arrangements are being made now."

Dean looked at her as if she'd been speaking a foreign language, and she must have sensed his confusion. She laid a gentle hand on his arm. "The trauma center can assess his condition much better than we can here. We've stabilized him, and it should be a simple matter of getting him from here to there. You can go in the ambulance with him if you like."

"We, uh, we're from out of town and my car…." Dean's head was spinning.

"We'll give you directions if you want to drive yourself," she said with a kind voice.

"Can I see him?"

"Of course. You can sit with him while the final arrangements are made. A nurse will come in to talk to you soon. I'm sorry I don't have better news for you, but he's young and in good shape. He doesn't have any broken bones, and his vital signs are all strong. It could be worse."

Dean felt a sudden flash of anger, but controlled it. He knew she'd meant her words to be supportive. She gave him a few more bits of information as she led him to Sam's room. Before leaving them alone, she explained what the various machines were monitoring, but Dean was only half paying attention.

For several minutes, all Dean could do was stare at his brother. Sam was surrounded by machines, and his huge form somehow looked small in the hospital bed. Dean felt guilty. Even though Sam was an adult, Dean had always felt protective of him. When they were kids, it had been Dean's job to take care of him, and that was a hard habit to break.

Finally, he forced himself forward. With a shaking hand, he touched Sam's shoulder, trying not to see the cuts and bruises on his puffy face. He pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down. "I'm here, Sammy. You're gonna be okay. I promise."

Dean didn't know how much time had passed before a nurse came into the room. She introduced herself, and then checked all of the monitors, making notations before turning her attention to Dean. She talked to him about how Sam would be transported to the trauma center, and what would happen once he was there. She also gave him directions, then handed him a piece of paper where she'd written them down as well as the names of people he would be able to talk to once he'd arrived.

Dean thanked her, more out of habit than anything else. Sam had gotten hurt before, hell, he'd _died _before, but Dean had never had to deal with something like this. He had tried to listen to the nurse, but knew he'd missed most of the information. He glanced down at the page in his hand, thankful she'd written most of it down for him.

-----

Dean didn't even remember driving to the trauma center. Without the information the nurse had written down for him, he probably wouldn't have even remembered who to ask for. He was directed to a waiting room, and though he barely noticed, it was more plush than most he'd seen. He was pacing when a woman joined him a few minutes later.

"Dean Petty?" she asked.

Dean turned to see a middle-aged woman with dark hair standing near him. He didn't notice much, but he did see that she had a kind face. "Yes. How's my brother?"

"Sam is being evaluated, but the trip here was uneventful. His vital signs are all still strong." She nodded toward the nearby couch. "Why don't we sit down and talk?"

Dean had always thought that conversations held while sitting down never ended well, but he followed her to the couch. "My name is Linda Conrad and I'm a social worker here. I can explain the tests your brother will undergo, and help you with just about anything else you might need. I know you're from out of town, and I can recommend a place for you to stay. The Point Inn is closest to the hospital, and they give a discount for our patients' families."

"I don't want to be too far away from Sam."

She nodded with a smile. "I understand, and you're welcome to stay here, but you'll no doubt want some place to clean up and sleep."

Dean only nodded.

"I've written the address on the back of my card," she said holding out a business card. Dean slipped it into his wallet, and tried to concentrate on what he was hearing. She seemed to sense when he'd had enough. "When was the last time you ate?"

Dean shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat," she said with a motherly tone. "I'll show you where the cafeteria is. It's going to be a while before you can see your brother."

Dean didn't think she'd take no for an answer, so he nodded with a sigh.

-----

It was late in the evening when Linda came to the waiting room with a man she introduced to Dean as Dr. Benjamin Douglas.

"You're my brother's doctor?" Dean asked.

He nodded. "I'm sorry it's taken so long, but our testing was quite extensive. Unfortunately, it's also somewhat inconclusive. That's not all that unusual for brain injuries, but there are some unique aspects to your brother's case."

"What do you mean?"

"I've looked at all the scans, and they don't show any injury. There are some other tests we can do, and they've been scheduled for tomorrow." The doctor spent the next few minutes explaining the tests in more detail than Dean was ready to hear.

"He's still unconscious?"

Dr. Douglas nodded. "But he's minimally responsive."

"What does that mean?"

"He's aware of his surroundings and can respond to simple commands. He's tried to speak, but hasn't been able to. We've told him that you're here, and he seemed to respond quite favorably to that."

"I want to see him," Dean said.

"Of course. He's being monitored electronically, but don't let the machines bother you. He's also got an NG tube; that's a –"

"A feeding tube through his nose."

The doctor nodded. "Basically, yes."

Dean followed the doctor down the hall almost in a daze. He was trying to pay attention to what the doctor was telling him, but it wasn't making much sense. He was sure Dr. Douglas was trying to use simple language, but the words weren't making much sense.

They paused outside the closed door, and once making sure that Dean didn't have any questions for him, the doctor took his leave. Linda put a hand on Dean's arm. "Visiting hours are almost over, but as long as you don't get in the way, you can stay in Sam's room. But, Dean, I would really recommend you getting a room and sleeping in it tonight."

"I just want to see my brother."

She looked at him for a moment, then must have decided her attempt to get Dean to leave would fail. "All right. I'm leaving for the night, but you have my number if you need anything."

"Thank you." Dean reached for the door handle. The doctor had been specific about what to expect, but it was still jarring to see.

oooOOOooo

"Have you told Dean the boys will be here?" Ellen asked Kristine the next morning when she stopped at the main house for coffee.

"I called, but got his voice mail."

"Are they on a case?"

"I don't know. We haven't talked in a couple of days. Sam's always researching something, and you never know what those two are going to run into."

"That's the truth," Ellen agreed.

Kristine looked at her watch. "I'd better get going. How handy that I was off today, huh?"

Kristine had a counselor position at a mental health clinic in Asheville, nearly 30 miles from her home in Mountain Ridge. She'd given up the job at one point because the estate needed more of her attention, but had been happy to get back to work.

"Have a safe drive," Ellen said. "Call me when you get to Charlotte."

"Will do," Kristine said and headed for the door. She slipped the cell phone ear piece into her ear, then dialed Dean's number as she got onto the road. She got his voice mail again, and left another message. She considered calling Sam's phone, and decided she'd do that if Dean didn't call within the next few hours.

oooOOOooo

Dean had dozed in a chair in Sam's room, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to leave. He was almost sure that Sam had fallen asleep at one point. He'd spent some time talking to him, trying to get him to respond. Sam had only been able to blink in answer to questions, and occasionally had been able to squeeze Dean's hand. Dean thought Sam was trying to tell him something, but hadn't been able to figure it out.

He glanced to the door when he heard it open. He recognized Sally, the nurse who had been coming in to check on Sam all night. After taking care of him, she turned to Dean. "It's almost shift change, and we need you to go."

She'd warned Dean the previous night this would happen, and he nodded. "Let me just say goodbye?"

She smiled. "Okay, Sweetie." She laid a hand on his shoulder before walking out of the room.

Dean looked at his brother. His eyes were open, but Dean knew that didn't mean anything. He stood up and folded the bedrail, then sat on the edge of the bed. "Sammy, can you hear me?"

Sam blinked.

Dean put a hand on his arm. "I have to go for a little while, but I'll be back, okay?"

Sam didn't respond, and Dean had trouble holding back his tears. "Sammy…." Dean felt his brother flinch, and he looked at Sam's hand. His fingers clenched, then unclenched. "What is it, Sammy. Are you in pain?"

Again, Sam didn't respond, and his hand went limp.

"They said I had to go for a while, Sammy, but I'll be back soon." When he got no response, Dean squeezed his brother's arm. "I'll be back."

-----

Dean stopped in the men's room before going to his car. He wasn't even sure where he'd parked it, but he found it fairly easily. He sat behind the wheel, his forehead resting on it, when he heard the chirp of his cell phone. Knowing he wouldn't be able to use it in the hospital, he'd tossed it into the glove compartment. He thought he'd turned it off.

He reached for the phone and looked at the call log, seeing he'd missed calls from Bobby and Kristine. It belatedly occurred to him that he should have called at least Bobby the night before to let him know about Sam. After staring at the phone for a few moments, he listened to the messages. Bobby had called just to check in, and Kristine had left two messages about Nicholas and Alex coming to visit.

He dialed Bobby's number, but got his voice mail. In a mechanical voice, he left a message saying that Sam was in a St Louis hospital. He also said that he was going to try to get a room at the Point Inn. He ended the call, and slipped his key into the ignition. His vision blurred as the tears began to roll down his face, and before he let himself think about it, he was dialing Kristine's cell phone number.

-----

Kristine was half an hour away from the Raines' house when she heard her cell phone. She answered the call with the hands-free device. "Hello?" She didn't hear a response, and thought the call had been lost. "Hello?"

"Kris…."

She recognized Dean's voice, and could tell something was wrong. She checked the rearview mirror before pulling to the side of the road. "Dean?"

"It's Sammy."

"What's wrong with Sam?" she asked, concerned. She was sure Dean was crying.

"He's in the hospital. He's unconscious, Kristine." A moment later, he was telling her everything, barely taking a moment to breath.

Kristine felt tears stinging her eyes as she listened, and she wished she could jump on a plane and get to Dean. He was strong, but when something threatened his brother, especially something he had no control over, Dean broke.

"Dean, I'm so sorry," Kristine said when he finally stopped talking. "Did you call Bobby?"

"Yeah. I got his voice mail. Where are you? Have you gotten to Charlotte yet?"

"Almost," she said, wishing again that she was with him. "What about you? Are you at the hospital?"

"I had to leave Sam's room, so I'm going to a motel nearby. I think he tried to tell me something, but I couldn't understand. I've known him his whole life and I couldn't figure out what he needed."

"Dean, please don't beat yourself up. This isn't your fault, okay? Look, you get to the motel and take a long shower. Have you eaten?"

"I had something last night."

"Eat some breakfast, okay? Even if it's just a bagel or something. Promise me?"

"Kristine…."

"Promise me, Dean. You have to take care of yourself for Sam's sake."

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I'll eat something."

"Try to sleep?" She heard Dean laugh. "Just try, okay?"

"Okay."

"Can you drive?"

"The motel isn't far. I can handle it."

"You wanna stay on the phone until you get there?"

"You have things to do."

"You wanna stay on the phone until you get there?" she asked again.

"Yeah."

Kristine talked to Dean as he drove the few miles to the motel. She didn't think it mattered what he said, as long as there was some kind of contact.

"I just pulled into the parking lot," Dean said. He laughed. "They have a free continental breakfast. Maybe I can get a bagel."

"You'd better do it," Kristine said lightly, but then her tone became more serious. "You can handle this, Dean. I know you can. Why don't you call me once you're in the room?"

"Okay, I will." He paused. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." After hanging up, Kristine dialed Bobby's number. She knew that Dean had just left a voicemail, but she wanted to make sure he knew how bad the situation was. Her call went to voicemail, too, and she waited for his outgoing message. "Bobby, it's Kristine. I know Dean just called you, but I doubt he let on how bad it was. I'm on my way to Charlotte to pick up Nicholas and Alex, so I can't get to St Louis myself, but Dean really needs you, Bobby. Please call me as soon as you can."

oooOOOooo

Dean kept his promise to Kristine, and called once he'd gotten into the room. They talked for a little while, and when he told her he'd gotten something to eat, she pretended to believe him. He showered, and tried to sleep, but after a nightmare involving Sam and a vampire, he gave up and headed back to the hospital.

He checked in at the nurses' station, and was told that he could sit with Sam until he was taken off for the tests in about an hour. Sam looked the same when Dean walked into his room. His eyes were open, but the doctor had explained that was often the case with patients in his condition, and care had to be taken to ensure they didn't dry out.

Not sure if he was sleeping or not, Dean quietly moved the chair to the bedside and sat down. He put a hand on Sam's arm, and saw him blink. "Hey, Sam. I told you I'd be back, huh?" Sam blinked again. "They're gonna take you for some more tests soon. Man, I remember when you were in school how you'd always freak out before a test. You always aced them, though."

Dean rambled on for the next few minutes about nothing in particular, but stopped talking when he felt Sam's hand flex. Sam blinked several times in quick succession, and Dean knew he was trying to tell him something.

"It's okay, Sammy. Just calm down. I know you need something, but I don't know what. I'm trying, though, man, okay?"

Sam blinked.

"Are you in pain?" Dean asked. "Once for yes, twice for no, remember?"

Sam blinked two times.

"No pain?"

He blinked twice again.

"Any of these tubes bothering you?"

Another two blinks.

"The vampire? Something about the vampire?"

Sam seemed to hesitate before he blinked twice.

Dean felt a small tug on his sleeve, and looked down to see Sam clutching his shirt. "I'm sorry, Sammy. I don't know."

Sam closed his eyes, holding fast to his brother's shirt. After a moment, he opened them, but Dean still didn't know what his brother was trying to say. Before he could ask another question, the door opened and an orderly came in. "We need to take him now."

"Already?" The man nodded, and Dean turned back to his brother. "Okay, dude, they're gonna take you for those tests now. I'll be here when you get back, all right?"

Sam was still holding onto his sleeve, and Dean wasn't sure if Sam was aware of it, or not. He said a few more words he hoped were encouraging, and unclenched Sam's fingers, squeezing his hand before letting go.

Leaving the orderly to his job, Dean went back to the nurses' station to ask about Sam's doctor. He was told that Dr. Douglas had done his rounds that morning, but wasn't available at the moment. Next he asked where he could find Linda Conrad's office, then headed to the elevator.

oooOOOooo

If Angelica hadn't told Kristine that Nicholas was sick, she never would have guessed. As soon as he saw her, Nicholas threw his arms around Kristine and, in true Nicholas form, spent the first several minutes chattering to her.

Kristine had planned to stay in Charlotte for a few hours, but was distracted during her visit. Even though her mind was on Dean, Kristine could tell that Angelica was feeling very guilty about leaving the boys behind. She didn't think they were particularly disappointed about not going, though.

Kristine helped Angelica make lunch, and her cell phone rang as they were sitting down. She saw Bobby's name on the caller ID display, and excused herself. In the living room, she answered the phone. "Hey, Bobby."

"What the hell is going on? I can't get in touch with Dean."

"He's probably at the hospital again," Kristine said, and then told Bobby what she knew about Sam's condition. "Is there any way you can go to St. Louis?"

"I'm already on my way."

"You're a saint, Bobby."

He snorted. "Yeah, I know. I wasn't home, so I'm not that far away. I should be there in a few hours."

They spoke for a few more minutes, then Kristine went back to the dining room.

oooOOOooo

"I don't get it," Dean said to Linda. He'd been in her office for almost half an hour trying to understand Sam's condition. "Sam knows what I'm saying, but all he can do is blink and occasionally move his hand. He's not paralyzed?"

"No, he's not. There's no spinal cord injury."

"He's trying to tell me something, but I can't figure out which questions to ask."

"He _may_ be trying to tell you something. Just because he's answering questions doesn't necessarily mean he understands them or is answering them correctly." Linda leaned forward behind her desk. "But you know Sam better than we do."

Dean nodded thoughtfully. "How long can he stay like this?"

"Indefinitely, I'm afraid. It depends on the injury."

"But Dr. Douglas said there was no sign of injury."

"That's true," Linda said. "And that's why he ordered more tests."

Dean sighed. "Any idea how long the tests will take?"

"Several hours. You said you checked into the motel, so why don't you just go back there and try to get some more sleep?" Linda suggested. "I'll call down to the nurses' station and arrange for them to call you when Sam is back in his room."

"Yeah, okay." He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, but realized there probably wasn't any point to sitting around the hospital. He waited until Linda had talked to the head nurse on Sam's floor before taking the elevator to the first floor.

He turned his phone on once he was inside the car, and saw that he had messages. One was from Kristine telling him that she was headed back to Mountain Ridge and to call when he could. The other was from Bobby saying he had talked to Kristine and was headed for St. Louis. He didn't finish listening to the message, dialing Bobby's number instead.

"Dean?"

"Hey, Bobby."

"Any news?"

"Nothing has changed since last night. Sam's having more tests done now, and probably won't be back in his room for a few hours."

"How you holding up?"

"Just barely," Dean admitted.

"I'm about an hour out. I ran into some traffic during a storm, but I'm making good time now. Where are you?"

"Sitting in the hospital parking lot. I guess I'll head back to the motel for a while."

"I'll meet you there. Call me if you leave, okay?"

"Yeah, I will. Hey, Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming."

"No way I wouldn't have, Dean. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay." Dean held onto the phone for a few moments after the call ended, then dropped it onto the seat next to him. He had to force himself to put the key in the ignition. It was even harder to drive out of the parking lot.

-----

Dean was flipping through channels on the television when he heard the knock at the door. He'd been in his room for almost an hour without finding anything to occupy his mind. He wasn't surprised to see Bobby standing on the other side of the door when he opened it. Dean moved aside to let him in and once the door was closed, Bobby pulled the young man into a hug. Dean held onto him, clutching a handful of Bobby's jacket, for several moments.

"When was the last time you ate, boy?" Bobby asked as he glanced around the room.

"Last night."

"I saw a restaurant just down the road. Let's go."

"I'm not really hungry, Bobby."

"I am, and I could use the company," Bobby said. "Lemme just hit the head, then we'll go."

-----

Dean and Bobby were led to a rear table that sat under a stuffed deer head. There were similar decorations throughout the room. Bobby opened the menu in front of him and told Dean to do the same without even a glance in his direction.

When the waitress came to take their order, Bobby asked for a club sandwich and fries. Dean ordered the same thing, and Bobby figured that would have happened no matter what he'd requested. He knew what Dean was like when Sam was hurt worse than a scrape.

Bobby couldn't engage Dean in conversation, but hadn't been expecting to. He didn't think he'd get much out of Dean at all, and would be happy if the boy ate even part of his lunch. The food arrived, and Bobby started to eat. Dean picked at the fries on his plate, but didn't touch the sandwich.

"Dean," Bobby began after a few minutes. "I know you're worried. You have reason to be from what I've heard, but you gotta keep your strength up. You can't very well take care of Sam if you fall over from hunger and exhaustion."

"Can't be much help to him anyway," Dean said sadly.

"Just being with him is helping him."

"I swear I'm gonna find that vampire and waste the sonofabitch."

"I'm sure Sam'll want to help you with that."

Dean glanced at Bobby, but his eyes went back to his plate quickly. "He could be like this forever, Bobby."

"It's way too early to be thinking like that."

"What if, though, huh? How do I take care of him if he –"

"Listen to me, Dean," Bobby gripped his wrist. "This happened yesterday. Has it even been 24 hours?" Dean shook his head, and Bobby continued. "It's too soon to be thinkin' the worst. The doctors haven't found anything yet, so they don't know what to treat. But if he doesn't improve, you've got people to help you. You understand me?"

"Yeah," Dean said quietly.

Bobby squeezed his wrist before letting go.

"It seems kinda weird that the doctors haven't found anything," Dean said after a moment. "Don't ya think?"

"I don't know. It's not like a broken bone that's easy to find, I guess."

"Yeah," Dean said thoughtfully. He looked at Bobby. "It's like he's trying to tell me something."

"The doctor?"

"No. Sammy. He can blink answers to yes or no questions, but I haven't figured out which questions to ask. The social worker said he might not understand the questions, but I think he does."

"You know your brother better than anyone else, Dean. If he really is trying to tell you something, you'll figure it out." Bobby nodded toward Dean's plate. "Food's gettin' cold."

"It's a club sandwich, Bobby. It started out cold."

"Eat."

-----

Bobby reached for the bill when the waitress dropped it at the table. Dean protested, but the older man ignored him.

"You know, Kristine is probably back at the estate by now," Bobby said as he put some cash into the folder. "Why don't you give her a call?"

"I want to get back to the hospital."

"Uh-huh. Talk to Kristine for a little while, and I'll take you without argument."

Dean knew he didn't have much choice, so he nodded. "I'll meet you outside."

Bobby smiled knowingly, and Dean slipped out of the booth. As he walked past the waitress, he heard Bobby ask for a coffee refill.

"Hey there," Kristine answered the phone. Dean leaned against Bobby's car. "How are things?"

"About the same. Bobby's here."

"Good. He make you eat? I know you were lying about the bagel."

"I ate," Dean said. "Some. Are you back home?"

"Yeah, just got in a few minutes ago. Nicholas fell asleep in the car, and Alex is already in the pool. I'm sure it won't be long before he wants to check on his brother."

"I know how he feels," Dean muttered. "Sam's having some more tests done, and Bobby's making me stay away from the hospital for a while."

"Sweetie, I know it's hard, but you can't stay at his bedside 24 hours a day. Especially if he isn't in it."

"I know. It's hard, though."

"Yeah, I know it is. I wish I could be there with you."

"Me, too," Dean admitted. "But the boys need you. They don't know about –"

"No, I haven't said anything to them. No reason they need to worry," Kristine said. "But you know Nicholas. He may have already dreamed about it and just not said anything."

"I thought he was getting over keeping secrets."

"He is, but sometimes the dreams don't mean anything to him at first."

"Yeah," Dean ran a hand over his face. He talked to the boys at least once a week, and saw them as often as he could. He felt a certain kinship to them since they, like he and his brother, had lost their parents due to supernatural causes. "How sick is Nicholas?"

"If I didn't know he was sick, I wouldn't even suspect it. Angelica took him to the doctor because he was running a slight fever, and she was worried about the trip. She said he never even complained of having an earache."

"I love that kid, but he's a little creepy," Dean said.

"He's sweet," Kristine protested.

"Yeah, but he's creepy."

When Bobby joined him a few minutes later, Dean promised Kristine that he would call later in the evening with an update on Sam, and to talk to Nicholas and Alex. He ended the call, then got into the car. True to his word, Bobby drove to the hospital.

-----

Dean stopped at the nurses' station, and learned that Sam hadn't come back yet. The nurse said he and Bobby could wait in his room, but warned that he would no doubt be tired when he returned.

There was minimal conversation while Dean and Bobby sat in Sam's room. Bobby made a few attempts, but he knew Dean wasn't in the mood for small talk. He tried his best to distract him, but in the end, it was just easier to wait in silence. Dean's nerves were already on edge, and there was no reason to push him.

It seemed like hours before an orderly wheeled Sam into the room. Dean waited as a nurse came in right behind them and made sure everything was connected properly, but as soon as she was gone, he moved to Sam's side and put a hand on his arm. There was no reaction, so Dean figured he was asleep.

Mainly just for something to do, Dean smoothed the sheet over his brother, then sat down in the chair Bobby moved to the bedside. Bobby patted Sam's arm, then sat in a second chair the nurse had brought in earlier.

Dean looked toward the door when it opened a few minutes later, and Dr. Douglas walked in. He introduced Bobby as their uncle, and after shaking hands, Dr. Douglas turned back to Dean. "Why don't we talk outside?"

Dean whispered to Sam, then followed the doctor. He paused at the door and looked at Bobby. "You should hear this, too."

"You sure?"

Dean nodded. "You're family."

After a pause, the doctor led Dean and Bobby to Linda's office. Once they were settled, the doctor began. "I could spend a long time showing you the scans and going into detail about what we were looking for, but the bottom line is that after running every possible scan, I still can't find evidence of injury. I've consulted with the other neurologists on staff here, and to be perfectly honest, we're stumped."

"That's not really what I wanted to hear," Dean said.

"Understandable," the doctor smiled kindly. "I'm not saying we're done looking, or that there might not be something that just isn't showing up on the scans. That's somewhat unusual, but not completely out of the ordinary. Since nothing is showing up, there's probably nothing specific to treat Sam for. There's nothing to operate on, nothing to try to correct. In a way, it's good news that there's nothing on the scans."

"But he's still barely able to move or communicate," Dean said. "That doesn't seem like good news to me."

"It's frustrating," Linda broke in. "But Sam's response to various stimuli has been tested, and his overall score is good. Now, that doesn't mean he'll fully recover, but the better his score, the _more_ he's likely to recover."

"He could stay minimally responsive forever, though, right?" Dean asked.

"It's possible, but his score indicates there will be improvement. It's impossible to guess how much," the doctor explained. "I'd like to keep him here, and have the rehabilitative staff start working with him."

"Rehabilitative staff?"

"A physical therapist will work with him to minimize muscle damage," Linda began. "And I'll work with him to minimize the psychological damage. You and I have already talked about this, but he could be more emotional, maybe just initially, and I'll help him to understand that. He also may be more temperamental, more aggressive….all of these things we can work on. We'd like to include both of you in this process."

"So that's it? That's what we're left with after all the tests?" Dean asked. Bobby laid a warning hand on his shoulder.

"I promise you that we're everything that can be done," the doctor said. "The task now is to get Sam to the best possible point. Depending on his progress over the next few days, other decisions will need to be made, but this is the best course for now.'

Dean felt sick, but he maintained a calm expression. Linda began to speak again, trying to reassure him, but he barely heard her. He couldn't imagine his brother not back at full capacity.

Once the conversation was over, Dean and Bobby headed back to Sam's room. They were alone in the elevator, and Bobby looked at Dean. "You consider asking your angel for help?"

"He's not my angel," Dean muttered. "I've tried, but he only shows up when he wants to."

"What about Ruby?" Bobby's tone was cautious.

"No. No way." Dean was certain. "Even if I knew how to get in touch with her, I wouldn't do it. Sam already feels too much gratitude to that she-demon. You know I hate all this, right?"

Bobby put an arm around Dean's shoulders. "I know. I do, too."

-----

Sam's eyes were open when Dean and Bobby got to his room, but Dean knew that didn't necessarily mean he was awake. He folded the side rail on the bed, and sat on the edge carefully. Sam flinched, and Dean quickly reassured him. "It's just me, Sam. Bobby's here, too."

"Hey, kid," Bobby said when he moved closer to the bed.

Sam closed his eyes and his lips moved slightly. Thinking he was trying to speak, Dean leaned forward. "Are you trying to say something?" He felt a small tug on his sleeve, and looked down to see Sam holding onto his shirt. It took a lot of effort for Dean to blink back his sudden tears.

"We were just talking to your doctor," Dean said trying to keep his tone light. "Seems you're quite the mystery. Linda said she spent time with you today and explained things."

Sam blinked once.

Are you tired from all the tests?" Dean asked him after a few silent moments.

Another blink.

"Do you want us to leave so you can sleep?"

Sam gripped Dean harder and blinked several times. Dean put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "Okay, we're not going anywhere. I'm right here, okay?"

Sam seemed to relax.

"Sam," Dean began after another short silence. "Have you been trying to tell me something?"

Sam blinked.

"About how you feel?"

Sam blinked twice.

"What about what happened with the vampire?"

Sam blinked once, and Dean thought he was staring intently.

"He attacked you?"

Sam blinked twice.

"Wait, Sam. Two blinks means no."

Sam blinked twice again.

"Are you saying the vampire didn't attack you?" Dean asked as his heartbeat increased. Sam blinked once, and Dean was confused. "I heard you yell. When I got to you, you were unconscious and….Sammy, was there something other than the vampire in that room?"

Another single blink.

"A second vampire?" Dean asked, and Sam responded no. "Some other creature?" Sam didn't blink and Dean glanced at Bobby. "Sammy, was there something other than the vampire in the room with you?"

Sam blinked once.

"A person?" Dean asked.

Sam blinked once, but after what Dean took to be a deliberate hesitation, he blinked twice.

Dean tried to hold his frustration back as his mind whirled. "Sam, when I got to the room, all I saw was you and the vampire jumping out the window."

Bobby caught Dean's eye, then took another step closer to the bed. "Sam, was it something that only _looked_ human?"

Sam blinked once.

"Was it controlling the vampire?" Again, the question came from Bobby, but Sam didn't respond. "Do you know the answer?"

Sam blinked twice.

"But you're sure it wasn't another vampire?" Dean asked.

Sam responded affirmatively, but after a few moments, he closed his eyes and a tear rolled toward the bed.

"It's okay, Sammy. You're doing great," Dean tried to sound encouraging and he put his hand on his brother's. "Do you want to sleep?"

Sam's eyes opened quickly, and he stared at Dean.

"I won't leave," Dean said quietly, and Sam blinked once. "Go to sleep, I'll be here."

oooOOOooo

Kristine had just given Nicholas a dose of medicine when her cell phone started to ring. She slipped it out of her back pocket and saw Bobby's name on the display. "I have to take this, kiddo. I'll be right back, okay?"

Nicholas nodded and Kristine answered the phone as she walked to the hallway. Alex took her place on his brother's bedside. "Hey, Bobby." She continued down the stairs so that the kids couldn't overhear. "How are things there?"

"Sam's doctor hasn't been able to find anything on all those scans he took, and they're gonna start some kind of rehabilitation tomorrow"

"He's still only minimally responsive?"

"Yeah, no improvement there."

"I'm sure Dean's reacting well."

"He's all right. Considering. He's in with Sam now, but the kid is probably tired. Both of them, actually. Oh, and Sam said there was something else in the room with him and the vampire."

"He talked? I thought you said –"

"Well, no, he blinked. Dean and I were asking him questions."

"Dean didn't say anything about something else in the room."

"He didn't see anything else. Sam said it looked human, but wasn't a vampire."

"Bobby….what if Sam's condition is supernatural?"

"Anything's possible, I guess, but…."

"It could still be physical, caused by a blow to the head. Vampires are really strong, right?"

"Yeah, they are, but Sam said it was the other thing that attacked him. Poor kid really wants us to know what that second thing was, but he just can't tell us. All he can do is blink and move one hand a little."

"Poor Sam. This whole situation just sucks."

"That's an understatement," Bobby agreed. "How are things there? You got the boys, right?"

"Yeah. Nicholas is finally slowing down, but things are fine. Do you think Dean's gonna stay at the hospital all night?"

"Probably. I figure I'll go back to the motel after a while and get some sleep so I can keep an eye on him tomorrow. It might be important to figure out what else was in that room with Sam and the vampire, too."

"I'm sorry all this fell on you."

"Don't worry about it. You've got your hands full there, too. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Give Dean my love." Kristine ended the call, then went back upstairs to check on Nicholas and Alex. Nicholas had fallen asleep and Alex was watching television with the volume turned low. "You can go downstairs, ya know."

Alex looked at her and nodded. "I wanna stay with Nicky."

"I'll check on you in a bit, okay?"

"Okay." Alex turned his attention back to the television, and Kristine adjusted the covers around Nicholas before going in search of Ellen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Stars Shine in the Dark**

**Chapter 2**

oooOOOooo

Every hardship; every joy; every temptation is a challenge of the spirit; that the human soul may prove itself

Elias A. Ford

oooOOOooo

Sam had no idea what time it was when he realized he was awake. He wasn't even sure if he was alone, but he suspected that Dean wasn't too far away. Sam wanted to move his head to look around the room, but the best he could do was turn his eyes. He didn't see his brother in his limited field of vision, and even though the machines in the room were quiet, they were too loud for Sam to hear Dean breathing. Sam knew that there was also a television in the room, but he could just barely see that it wasn't turned on.

Sam was miserable. He needed to figure out a way to tell Dean what had been with the vampire because it was important. At least he thought it was. There were big holes in what he remembered about the attack, but it seemed that it at least _should_ be important.

He was grateful not to be in pain, but not being able to move or convey his thoughts was just as excruciating. Maybe more so. Sam was used to being able to rely on his intelligence and his ability to reason things out, but other than knowing something else had been in the room, he wasn't sure what had happened.

When he tried to think, Sam got confused easily, and sometimes all he wanted to do was lash out, but he couldn't even yell. His frustration turned into tears much too quickly, and he detested the idea that he'd be a burden on Dean.

Sam heard movement in the room, but couldn't tell where it had come from or what had caused it. He tried not to panic; there were always nurses around. Or, maybe it had just been his imagination. He wasn't sure, but he thought he'd imagined things about the hospital room before.

The noise forgotten, Sam wondered how long he'd been in the hospital. He'd tried to ask, but he'd not been able to form words and he wasn't even sure his lips had moved. Sam's thoughts were becoming jumbled and the worst part about that was he could recognize it happening right before he descended into confusion.

Where was Dean?

-----

Dean woke up, and shifted in the uncomfortable chair. Bobby had left some time ago, warning Dean that he'd be back in time for the morning shift change to take Dean somewhere for breakfast. The room was dimly lit; Dean could only see his brother's outline. He thought about moving to the bedside, but hoped Sam was asleep and didn't want to disturb him.

Dean told himself that not a lot of time had passed and there was no reason to worry that Sam hadn't shown any measurable improvement. But the idea that this might be as good as it got scared him, and he had no idea what he'd do if that turned out to be the case.

He leaned forward, hands clasped between his knees, and watched Sam. He found himself trying to plan Sam's care if he didn't improve. Bobby had said there were people who would help, but even in a normal family, someone in Sam's condition would be difficult to handle.

Where the hell was Castiel? Dean almost laughed when he realized that the angel's only response would be that he can't help. What was the point of knowing an angel if he couldn't get a miracle every now and then? He wouldn't even be greedy and ask for a full recovery for Sam.

-----

Dean jerked awake when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and heard someone calling his name. He saw the kind-looking nurse who had come on duty the night before. She took a step away from him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Dean shook his head. "It's okay."

"It's almost time for the shift change," the nurse said to him. "I thought you'd like to spend a few minutes with your brother before leaving. He's awake."

Dean looked at Sam, and saw him tapping a finger on the sheet. "Thanks," he said to the nurse before she left the room. "Hey, Sammy."

The tapping stopped when Dean sat on the edge of the bed. Dean didn't read anything into that; he doubted that Sam had even realized he'd been doing it. Without realizing it, Dean put his hand near Sam's so he could latch onto his sleeve. "They're gonna kick me out soon, but I'll be back as soon as I can."

When Sam didn't react, Dean went on. "They're gonna start some of that rehabilitation stuff today. Linda talked to you about that, right?"

Sam blinked.

"Do you like Linda?"

Dean got the impression that Sam wanted to shrug, but after a moment, Sam blinked once.

"I guess you'll be meeting a physical therapist today," Dean smiled at him. "I hope it's someone who can handle that freakishly large frame of yours." He was surprised to see a slight upturn in Sam's lips, but he wasn't sure if he'd intended it to be a smile or a snarl.

-----

Bobby knew that Dean would protest if given the chance, so he pulled into the fast food drive-through lane without asking him. They took the food back to the motel, and after a sausage biscuit and a cup of coffee, Dean fell asleep. It didn't last long, and wasn't particularly restful, but Bobby would take what he could get.

"I was thinking about that thing Sam said was in the room with him and the vampire," Bobby said later. Dean had just come from the shower and was slipping into his boots. "I made a few calls to put out the word. Maybe there's a hunter out there who might have some information."

Dean nodded. "That's a good idea. Thanks for taking care of that."

"I called Kristine, too, let her know. She's got a lot of people in and out of the house."

"Did you ask about Nicholas?"

"Yeah. Kristine said he's finally acting like he's sick. He'll be okay, though." Bobby watched Dean as he shifted on the edge of the bed. "Might do you some good to talk to him. Kristine, too, for that matter."

"You playing matchmaker there, Bobby?"

"I'm just saying that talking to a couple people you care about probably isn't such a bad idea."

Dean absently scratched his cheek. "Yeah, you're probably right about that."

"I think I'm gonna…uh….to hell with it. Call her now. I'll be outside."

-----

"Hello?" Kristine absently answered her phone as sat at the desk in her office. She'd been struggling with paperwork for the last hour.

"Hey, it's me."

She leaned back in her chair. "Hey. How ya doin'?"

"Not great, but I'm hanging in. Bobby said Nicholas is finally acting like he's sick?"

"Yeah. I mean, he's sleeping more and complaining a little bit, but he'll make a full recovery. How's Sam?"

"Not much change. They're starting physical therapy and stuff today."

"That should help."

"Yeah….There's a social worker assigned to him, and she's some kind of counselor, I guess. She's gonna be working with him, too. Do you know anything about how that will work?"

"Not specifically, but I imagine she'll help him with the frustration he's no doubt feeling. Has she talked to you about what you might expect depending on Sam's physical recovery?"

"Not really. It's been kind of a one step at a time thing, I think."

"That's probably for the best," Kristine said as she glanced at the book about head injuries she'd borrowed from the clinic library. "Are you listening to Bobby? Eating, trying to sleep?"

"Yeah. I don't think he'd take no for an answer."

"Good," Kristine chuckled. "You know I'd be there if I could, right?"

"I know that. You have Nicholas and Alex….and I have a feeling this will be going on for quite a while. Bobby said he told you about something else being in the room with Sam and that vampire."

"Yeah, he did," Kristine said, not surprised Dean wanted to change the subject. "I talked to Ellen about it, and she's working her contacts."

"Yeah, Bobby is, too. I wish there was more I could do, but I feel guilty whenever I'm not with Sam."

"You're only one person, Dean. Let the network, such that it is, work for you. And you can't be with Sam 24 hours a day. You need to take care of yourself, too." Kristine waited for Dean to say something, but she only heard silence on the other end of the phone. She was sure the call hadn't been disconnected. "Dean?"

"His eyes look so sad," Dean said, almost inaudibly.

"Dean…."

"I suppose that's not a very guy thing to notice," Dean said with a humorless laugh.

"Oh, whatever," Kristine scolded him. "Why wouldn't you see that?"

"What if this is as good as it gets? It's possible, you know. All the rehabilitation and therapy? It might not make a damn bit of difference."

Kristine didn't answer right away. She thought about the various things she could say, and decided that empty platitudes wouldn't help anyone. "Then we'll deal with it. There's no reason he can't live here. There's plenty of room at the estate, and we can bring in whatever he needs. But that's something to think about later."

"I'm really scared, Kristine."

She knew that wasn't easy for Dean to admit, and she wished again that she was with him. Phone conversations were great, but sometimes a hug could do more than words ever could. "I know you are. It may not end up perfect, but whatever happens, we'll do the best we can."

"Thanks. I think I'm gonna give Nicholas and Alex a call before heading back to the hospital."

"That's a great idea. Call me later?"

"Yeah, I will."

oooOOOooo

"This reminds me of a joke." A man dressed all in black sat down at a small round table that was already occupied by another man and a woman.

"What joke?" the woman asked as she took a sip from the margarita in front of her.

"A vampire, a witch and a demon walk into a bar…." He laughed, but his companions remained silent. "Whatever. You two have no sense of humor."

"So?" the woman looked at the newcomer. "You were at the hospital. What's the status?"

"Dr. Douglas can't find a thing on those scans. Weird, huh?" he grinned. "They started physical therapy today, but I have a feeling it won't do much good."

"Don't get cocky, okay?" the woman said. "You're dealing with hunters here. And one of them is Bobby Singer."

"Infamous demon expert," the man scoffed. "And he didn't even recognize a demon in his midst."

"Don't get cocky," she said again.

"What about you, Emerson?" he looked at the vampire. "You laying low? Staying away from hunters?"

"I thought I was staying away from hunters before," he said sullenly.

"Yeah, and not only did you attract their attention, they turned out to be the friggin' Winchesters. Brilliant move there, Em."

"Shut up," he groused. "And don't call me _Em_."

The demon laughed, then sobered. "The Winchesters are duly distracted. We can probably get on with things."

"Are you serious? I think we need to move on and start over."

"What? Why?"

"Because we've got _hunters _here, idiot. Even if the Winchesters are distracted, they have Emerson's trail, and they can put other hunters on it."

"Joanne, you're being overly cautious."

"I don't think so," she disagreed. "And I said the same thing after yours and Emerson's run-in with Baby Winchester. There's no reason to risk it."

He looked at the vampire. "You agree?"

"Do you really care what I think?"

"Not as much as I care what _she_ thinks, but I care."

Emerson looked from one to the other, then shrugged. "I say we move on. We're not that invested here."

"I'll think about it. Scope out some towns, and I'll finish up with the Winchesters. Meet back here in two nights?"

The others agreed.

oooOOOooo

Dean talked to Ellen for a few minutes when he called the estate. She was curious about Sam, and Dean gave her a brief update. He didn't want to talk about it any more, but he knew Ellen meant well.

Alex got on the phone next, and was characteristically quiet. He always talked, but he was much less exuberant than his brother. When it was Nicholas' turn to talk, he wasn't as lively as normal, and Dean knew he must feel pretty bad. When Dean asked, Nicholas admitted that his ear hurt, but he didn't make a big deal about it.

Once the conversations were over, Dean felt better. He was at least in a better frame of mind. He slipped a long-sleeved shirt over the t-shirt, then joined Bobby outside.

"How's North Carolina doing?"

"Pretty good, all things considered. Ready to hit the road?"

Bobby nodded. "In a minute."

"What's up?"

"Well, I told ya I put the call out, right?"

"About the vampire and his little buddy?"

"Yeah. I just talked to Kyle Stevens. He's a hunter who lives not too far from here, and he said he'd gotten wind of a witch in the area."

"A he-witch or a she-witch?"

"Female."

"What's she been doing?"

"Nothing much near as he's been able to figure out," Bobby said. "And I know that witches and vampires don't normally cozy up, but I think it's kind of strange."

Dean nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, it is."

"Kyle's gonna keep in touch, let me know what else he finds out."

"Good. Had he heard anything about the vampire?"

"No, but no doubt he would have soon. He's pretty well connected, and the vampire just got into town, so…." Bobby slapped Dean on the back. "Come on, we've got an appointment to keep."

Dean glanced at his watch. They had about half an hour to get to the hospital and their first official counseling appointment.

"You know I hate this, right?" Dean asked as they got into the Impala.

"I know, but it's good for Sam," Bobby shrugged. "I guess. You ask Kristine if she knew anything about this kind of counseling?"

"I did, but she doesn't. If I know Kristine, though, she'll know something about it by tonight."

-----

The first session was mostly informational. Linda introduced them to the team that would be working with Sam, each one explaining a little about what they'd be doing. Even though the descriptions were short, Dean had a hard time following them. He kept thinking about all the work ahead of Sam, and what would happen if it was all for nothing.

After the meeting was over, Dean went to Sam's room. Sam appeared to be asleep, and he didn't react when Dean spoke to him. Dean looked him over. He knew that part of the morning routine was to take care of hygiene issues, and he assumed Sam was being well cared for. He found himself staring at the beard growing on his brother's face. Sam was almost always clean-shaven, and though they'd never actually talked about it, Dean believed that's the way he'd want to be now.

Dean almost laughed at himself. It was such a minor thing to be concerned about considering the situation. He quietly moved the chair closer to the bed and sat down. He glanced at the tubes and the monitors, and though he'd learned too much about each of them in the last couple of days. He almost laughed again when he realized he missed the sound of his brother's voice. There had been times in the past when all he wanted was for Sam to shut up, but he'd give anything to hear him speak right now.

He leaned forward, crossing his arms on the mattress. His hand brushed Sam's arm, and he saw Sam draw back. "It's me, Sam. I didn't mean to wake you." Dean moved into Sam's field of vision. "You had a busy morning, I heard."

Sam didn't respond.

"I met all the people who'd be working with you, and I talked to Linda for a while. Everyone is pretty hopeful. I know you can do this, Sam. You can do anything you put your mind to."

Sam's expression fell, and Dean suspected he wanted to change the subject.

"I talked to Nicholas and Alex. Nicholas has an ear infection – did I tell you that?"

Sam blinked.

"He and Alex are with Kristine. Keith and Angelica had to go out of town, to some writers' conference or something. They couldn't reschedule, so the boys are at the estate." Dean saw Sam's expression lighten up again. "Kristine said to give you her best, and she wishes she could see you."

Sam seemed to smile.

"So, when I was talking to Linda earlier, she suggested I bring some of your stuff here to make the room a little more familiar. She also said you might want to listen to the music you like. Bobby's gone off to find some iPod speakers, so we can play your emo music. Tell you what though, brother, I'm gonna add some other music to your iPod. Zeppelin, Motorhead, Metallica. Can't let you just listen to that girly stuff you like," Dean said with a light tone. He was sure Sam was trying to smirk at him. "I don't know what else you might like. I mean, under normal circumstances I know what you'd want. You'd love to have your face pinned to that computer screen all the time….Hey, remember when you were a kid? You had that blanket with the trains on it? Dad had to pry it out of your hands even when you were asleep so he could wash it. Damn thing finally fell apart."

Dean watched Sam's eyes, and there didn't seem to be any sadness in them at the moment. He tried to think of other things to reminisce about, and managed to keep Sam entertained until he fell back to sleep.

oooOOOooo

"Are you sure?" Bobby said into his cell phone. He'd been on the phone with Kyle Stevens for almost fifteen minutes. "You're sure the witch and the vampire have been seen together?"

"I'm positive," Kyle said. "My source is very reliable."

"What the hell is a witch doing with a vampire?"

"I don't know, but I can't imagine it's anything good."

"Ya think?" Bobby grumbled.

"Hey, you asked me," Kyle said with irritation. "Look, I don't know what they could possibly have in common, but seems pretty likely that's who Sam saw before he was attacked."

"I guess so," Bobby agreed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Damnit, I wish that boy could talk. For all we know, he has all the answers."

"What's his prognosis?"

"It's too early to tell, according to the doctor. He and the social worker both say he's in pretty good shape considering the injury, but there's no way to tell how much he'll recover, or how long it will take."

"That's a bitch," Kyle said. "Anything I can do?"

"You're doing it. Just keep the information coming."

"I'll find out what I can. I'm going to the house where Sam was attacked. Well, me and a small army, in case the vampire is there. We'll try to take him alive if we see him, and get what we can out of him. If he's not there, we'll keep looking."

"Thanks, Kyle. Be careful, okay?"

"You got it."

Bobby slipped his phone back into his shirt pocket. He thought back to one of his recent conversations with Kristine, and the question she'd asked about Sam's condition being caused by something supernatural. It hadn't seemed particularly likely at the time, but now he was reconsidering his opinion. He'd never heard of a vampire and a witch working together, and had no idea what they might be doing, but Bobby had a feeling Kristine's idea might have been closer to the truth than not.

He had a few more things on the list Linda had helped put together, so he forced his questions away. He finished running the errands, then went to the hospital. He got to Sam's room just as one of the rehabilitation team members arrived. After a few minutes of conversation, Dean and Bobby were asked to leave.

"How about lunch?" Bobby suggested. "I've got something to talk to you about."

"I don't think I like the sound of that," Dean said.

They decided to go to the hospital cafeteria, and after getting their food, they settled at a table on the patio. The day was warm, but slightly overcast, and they were practically alone.

"So?" Dean prompted when Bobby said nothing.

"I talked to Kyle, and he said that witch has been seen with the vampire."

"What the hell is a witch doing with a vampire?"

Bobby was tempted to re-enact the conversation he'd had with Kyle, but knew Dean had enough on his mind without unnecessary annoyance. "I have no idea."

"You think Sam saw a witch in the house?"

"It seems likely. You know, in the unlikely scenario of a witch hanging out with a vampire."

"Yeah, that," Dean said thoughtfully.

"Kristine said something when I talked to her last night. At the time, I blew it off, but I've almost changed my mind."

"What did she say?"

"Well, she suggested maybe Sam's condition is being caused by something supernatural."

"You know, that's actually more likely than a head injury," Dean said. He swallowed some of the soda he'd ordered. "But how do we find out?"

"I'm working on that."

oooOOOooo

There was still plenty of daylight when Kyle and his small army got to the house where Sam had been attacked. He didn't live very far from the small town, and was annoyed a vampire had gotten into his territory without his knowledge.

The group of five examined the house from the outside, and found no sign of a single vampire or that the house was being used as a nest. Bobby had told him that the Winchesters investigated the ownership, and found the house had been a rental for the last several years. It had been managed by the same real estate company for the last few years, and the owners were a retired couple whose residence was now in Florida. The house had been empty only for the last couple of weeks.

Kyle looked into the rental history, but didn't find anything interesting. The last people to live in the house had been a young family, and they apparently moved so the husband could take a promotion within his company.

They went through the house methodically, but found no further leads. Kyle suspected the vampire had been using it just out of convenience, finding somewhere else to sleep after the Winchesters visit. He suspected the vampire was still close, since he'd been seen at a local bar with someone known to be a witch just the night before.

Since the information had come second hand, he wanted to check it out for himself. He knew the bartender was a reliable informant, but Kyle wanted to make sure there hadn't been a misinterpretation of the information. After making sure the house was clean, the group headed into town.

-----

It was still fairly early, but happy hour had started at the bar, and the after-work crowd had already arrived. Kyle didn't see anyone he recognized behind the bar, and when he asked about Brandon, he was told he'd called in sick.

Before letting alarm set in, Kyle called the person who'd passed along Brandon's information, but he hadn't heard from the bartender. Kyle found out where he lived, then headed to the house with his group. Kyle went to the door, while the others held back.

There was no answer to his knock, so the group fanned out around the house while Kyle tried Brandon's cell phone. It had rung a couple of times when he heard a yell from the back yard. He raced around the house, and through the open back door, stopping fast.

"Oh, shit."

oooOOOooo

Bobby walked into Sam's room to find Dean dozing in the recliner that had been brought into the room and situated in Sam's line of sight. Music was playing quietly from the speakers Bobby had gotten, and the television was on with the volume turned down. Linda had explained that mental stimulation was important, and Bobby thought it ironic that the boob tube was good for that.

Bobby had news for Dean, but didn't want to disturb him. It wasn't like there was anything he could do, so hearing about it sooner rather than later wasn't particularly important. Besides, he hadn't gotten much sleep recently. With a glance at Dean, Bobby moved a chair to the side of the bed, and laid a gently hand on Sam's arm. He didn't respond, and Bobby assumed he was sleeping, too.

He watched Sam while his thoughts wandered. Kyle had found Brandon dead in his house, the obvious victim of something supernatural. No doubt authorities wouldn't come to that conclusion, but the hunters recognized the signs. They'd assumed it had been the vampire until they'd found the sulfur.

No matter who'd done the actual killing, the sulfur meant that in addition to a vampire and a witch, there was a demon in town. Any one of them would be bad, but all three? Bobby shook his head. What the hell would a group like that be doing working together?

Bobby knew that as soon as he told Dean there was a demon running around, he'd go into super-protective mode. He already didn't feel comfortable leaving Sam alone in the hospital, and Bobby suspected that would only get worse. On the other hand, if Sam's exorcising ability was still in tact….but there was no reason to believe that it was. If he couldn't control the majority of his body, why would he have enough direction to exorcise a demon?

It wouldn't be easy, but maybe it was time to take Sam out of the hospital and get him somewhere safe while the hunters investigated the situation. Handling the paperwork at the hospital would be less of a challenge than the actual move, but maybe with Kristine's help….

Bobby knew she'd come from money and a lot of it, but it was still difficult for him to comprehend just how much. It's not like they'd ever discussed it, and he'd never seen her tax return or anything, but just the upkeep of the estate had to cost a fortune. She never asked for money from the hunters she helped, and he'd even heard her turn it down. She was always willing to do whatever was necessary if a hunter was in trouble, but there was even more attachment to the Winchesters. No doubt she would pay for the proper medical transport, but to where?

Bobby's thoughts were interrupted by Sam flinching. He patted the boy's hand. "Hey, kid, it's Bobby." He saw relief flood over Sam's face when he moved to a spot where Sam could see him. "Are you all right?"

Sam blinked.

"Dean's here, too, but he's sleeping," Bobby said quietly. He thought back to what Linda had told them about giving Sam information. "It's about 8:00 at night."

Bobby realized he often didn't know what to say to Sam when he was able to talk back. He knew from what the doctor and counselor had explained that Sam might not always be as coherent as he appeared, but from what Bobby had seen, Sam had been pretty alert.

"This is hard, huh?" Bobby said, seeing no reason to sugarcoat the obvious. He saw agreement in Sam's eyes. "I'm sorry, kid. I really am. You know I'd do anything if it meant you'd be back to the way you were."

He felt a slight movement in Sam's hand, which Bobby took to mean that Sam understood.

"'Course no one has said that wasn't gonna happen anyway. This could just be a rough patch that you gotta get past. I mean, you just started to really work today, right? The last couple days it's all been about tests and trying to figure out the right course of action. Things'll probably start happening soon."

Bobby heard Dean grunt behind him. He smiled at Sam. "Sounds like Sleepy Beauty is awake."

-----

"What the hell?" Kristine said into the phone. She'd just left Nicholas and Alex in their room, and had been headed down the stairs to the kitchen when her phone rang. She veered off to the library, happy to find it no one in it. "Are you sure, Bobby?"

"I didn't see it myself, but Kyle's a good hunter. If he says there was a demon there….Hell, it's pretty hard to miss sulfur."

"This just doesn't make any sense," Kristine protested. "And it can't be a coincidence."

"I haven't talked to Dean yet. Sam woke up, and….Look, I was thinking that it might not be a bad idea to get Sam out of here. It's not that I think he's in any particular danger, but as soon as Dean finds out there's a demon in town, he's not gonna want to leave Sam alone at all. He already spends almost 24 hours a day here."

"I can't imagine the doctor is going to want to release him."

"We can sign him out against doctor's orders, but we're gonna need a way to get him somewhere."

"Well, the somewhere is here," Kristine said. "It just makes sense, right?"

"I figured you'd say that. Probably few places safer, and with people there to help take care of him…."

"I have no idea how to arrange for a medical transport, but I'm sure I can find someone who does. Or, hell, I can Google. I'll figure it out."

"You know," Bobby said. "I've been thinking about what you suggested about Sam's condition being supernatural-related, and I gotta say that's making more sense."

"I'm not sure if that's better, or worse."

"I hear ya," Bobby sighed. "I was working on a way to figure that out, but kinda got distracted by the demon news."

"Yeah, no doubt. This is all pretty wearing on you, too. How you holding up?"

"Don't worry about me. Look, I've got things to do. I'll call you in the morning to see what you found out about medical transportation."

"Okay. Tell Dean to call if he wants to. Don't worry about the time."

"I'll tell him. Talk to ya later."

-----

Bobby gave the brothers some time alone, then went back to Sam's room, stopping short when he walked in. Dean was sitting in a chair next to the bed, but he and Sam were both facing the television and by the sound of it, were watching some kind of comedy. Sam's face looked more relaxed than Bobby had seen in a while, and even Dean looked at ease. His arm was resting on the bed, with Sam's hand on top of it. Bobby quickly blinked away his tears, and cleared his throat.

He wondered if either of them really needed to know about the demon tonight, and made the quick decision that the morning was soon enough.

oooOOOooo

Nicholas had become very cranky, and Kristine decided between that and making arrangements for Sam's probably arrival, she needed some time off the next day. She had a rough idea of what her schedule was like, but after her call with Bobby, she logged into her work computer remotely to check her appointments. She didn't have any patients until later in the afternoon, but saw there was a meeting with her supervisor that she'd forgotten about.

Carl Reynolds' father had been an attorney in the same law firm with Kristine's father, and the families had been friends for years. Carl knew all about Kristine's mental history when he asked her to come to work for him at the Asheville clinic. He'd unofficially mentored her in school after she changed her major from business to psychology, and thought her background would help her be a better counselor.

After her mother's death, she'd taken him even further into her confidence by telling him about the supernatural. She hadn't made the decision lightly; it was a big deal to shatter someone's illusions, but in the end it had been the best thing to do. When the estate had become too much to handle on top of her job, she'd wanted to quit, but Carl had insisted she take a leave of absence instead. He even offered to help in dealing with the hunters.

Eventually Kristine had found a staff she could trust, and had been able to return to her duties at the clinic. There had been times over the years when she'd needed time off that a normal employer probably wouldn't have willingly allowed, but Carl understood her special circumstances.

She checked the time, and decided it wasn't too late to call him. He already knew about Sam's condition and had helped Kristine with her research. She didn't see any reason to tell him all the details, but she filled him in on most of the situation. He agreed to reschedule their meeting, and even offered her the number of a medical transport company that he'd had experience with.

"It's a 24-hour service, so you don't have to wait until morning to call," he said. "They can even do international transportation."

"When did you use them?" Kristine asked.

"Actually, I didn't use them. An old friend from college is one of the founders. You know what, let me just give him a call first. I'll call you back in a few minutes."

Before Kristine could even respond, he'd hung up.

oooOOOooo

As he had been doing, Dean spent the night in Sam's hospital room. As he watched Sam sleep, Dean knew his condition hadn't changed, but he couldn't help but think Sam's mood had. It probably had to do with the therapy sessions he'd had throughout the day; Sam no doubt felt like he was finally working toward recovery. Even though it had only been a few days, Dean thought it must feel longer to Sam.

One of the things Bobby had gotten when he was out running errands, was a clock so that Sam could see what time it was if he wanted to. They'd hung it where Sam could see it, but not where he had to stare at it. Dean glanced toward the clock, and saw it was just after two in the morning. He knew he should be asleep, but he couldn't stop thinking.

He thought it odd that Bobby had hidden a bag of protective herbs in the room before he left, even though the older man's reason made sense. He said that it was unlikely that the vampire would come to the hospital, but it was a possibility. Dean had protested since herbs would have little effect on a vampire, but Bobby's argument had been that there wasn't a lot they could do without the hospital staff knowing about it.

Dean couldn't stop thinking Bobby's motive was entirely different than what he'd said. He turned his eyes back to the bed when he heard a change in Sam's breathing. He still seemed relaxed, so Dean stayed where he was.

-----

Sam knew that Dean was in the room, and figured he was asleep. He was grateful for the time Dean was spending with him, and even if he could, Sam wouldn't admit to Dean that he was afraid to be alone overnight. He remembered some parts of the attack, but he couldn't quite recollect was causing his fear.

He wanted out of the hospital, but knew he was in no shape to be released. On the few occasions when a hospital visit had been necessary, the brothers would check themselves out as quickly as possible, usually over the protests of the doctor.

Sam wanted to turn his head. He knew Dean was with him, but he needed the visual reassurance. He knew it was unlikely he'd be able to do it, but Sam glanced at the clock, then began to concentrate. His head started to hurt, but Sam was determined. He didn't notice the sweat that broke out on his forehead, or that he was gripping the sheets with one hand.

Five minutes had passed when Sam looked at the clock again. His head was pounding.

Ten minutes.

Finally, when Sam thought he might pass out or throw up, he managed to move his head just enough to see his brother. He couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

-----

Dean's eyes opened, and he saw sunlight coming in through the partially closed blinds in the hospital room. He was about to look at his watch when he noticed his brother. Sam's head was in a slightly different position, Dean was sure of it, and his eyes were open.

"Sam?" Dean leaned forward, and could see the dried tears on his brother's face. "You okay?"

Sam blinked once and Dean was sure he was trying to smile. Dean moved to the side of the bed, and was amazed to see Sam's head move. It was just a small movement, but it was something he hadn't been able to do the day before.

"Sammy!" Dean couldn't have been happier if Sam had run a marathon and killed 50 vampires along the way. "Check you out!"

When the nurse came into the room a few minutes later, she watched Sam move his head, and joined in on the celebration.

oooOOOooo

Kristine was up early the next morning, excited by the progress she'd made the night before. She'd spent the night at the main house to be closer to Nicholas, and was surprised when he walked into the kitchen as she was pouring her first cup of coffee.

"You're awake early," she said. "How do you feel?"

"Lots better."

"Oh yeah?" she put a hand on his forehead. "Huh, you don't feel warm."

"I said I was better," the seven-year old rolled his eyes, and Kristine couldn't help but smile. "Can I have some cereal?

"Sure," Kristine said and pulled a bowl from the cupboard while Nicholas opened the pantry door. He seemed to consider his options seriously before selecting the Lucky Charms that Kristine hadn't even known was there. She let him pour the cereal into his bowl, but she insisted on handling the milk.

"When will Sam and Dean get here?" he asked after a couple of spoonfuls.

Kristine looked at him. "Did you dream about that?"

He nodded, sliding the spoon into his mouth.

"Can you tell me about the dream?"

When she'd first met Nicholas, his premonitions scared him. After working with Angelica, he seemed more comfortable with them, but he still didn't always understand what he saw. He often talked about the dreams matter-of-factly, as if everyone should know what he did, and sometimes he didn't realize he'd learned what he knew in a dream.

"They're gonna come on an airplane," he said, his face contorting in confusion. "But Sam has to be in a bed."

"Yeah…." Kristine hadn't told either of the boys about Sam's injury, and Ellen had agreed it was the right decision. They had both hoped the situation would correct itself without the boys ever finding out about it. "Sam got hurt, and had to go to the hospital."

"Must be a big owie," the little boy said.

"Well, it might be," Kristine said vaguely. "But it might just be that he needs more time to get better."

"He'll get better here."

"Oh yeah?" Kristine tried not to sound too excited.

"Prolly." Nicholas looked at her. "I had two dreams, but they ended different. Can I play in the pool today?"

"Sorry, kiddo, not until your ear infection is gone."

"Okay," he said amiably as Alex joined them in the kitchen.

-----

Kristine didn't wait for Bobby to call her. After making sure the boys had what they needed, she went back to her bedroom and booted up her computer while dialing Bobby's number.

"You're active early," Bobby said lightly. "I haven't even made it to the hospital yet."

"Did I wake you?"

"No. Is everything okay there?"

"Yeah, Nicholas is even feeling better. I wanted to let you know I have medical transport ready, I just have to call once we're ready for them to coordinate with the hospital."

"Damn, you're fast."

"Turns out I know someone who has a friend that is a partial owner of a transport company."

"Well, damn." Bobby sounded impressed.

"I know," Kristine laughed. "I also have a call in to the doctor I use for the hunters….I'm sure he'll be able to help us. Oh, and I told Nicholas a little bit about what happened. He dreamed some of it, and already knew Sam and Dean would be coming here on an airplane."

"See if you can find out what else he knows."

"I'll do what I can."

"Let me know. Look, I need to get to the hospital – they kick Dean out of Sam's room for shift change, and God knows what will happen if he's left to his own devices."

"Okay. I'll let you know when I've talked to the doctor."

"Sounds good."

-----

Bobby was surprised to find Dean in the hospital lobby when he walked through the door. "What are you doing down here?"

"Bobby!" Dean exclaimed with a smile on his face. "Sam moved his head!"

"What?" Bobby was excited as Dean grabbed his arms.

"He moved his head! It wasn't much, but he can do it whenever he wants. The night nurse paged Dr. Douglas, but he hadn't answered when they kicked me out for shift change. The doctor on call checked him out, and wants a new set of scans, so they're gonna do an MRI this morning."

"That's great news, Dean."

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, taking a step back.

Bobby hadn't realized he was so transparent. He was thrilled about Sam's improvement, but Dean must have seen something on his face. "Let's get some breakfast."

-----

"You should have told me last night," Dean said with barely controlled anger.

"Maybe I should have, but there was nothing you could have done."

"That's why you put the bag of herbs in Sam's room. Demon protection, not vampire." Dean leaned back in the booth. "Damnit, Bobby."

"Listen to me," Bobby said. "Be mad if you want, but that ain't gonna help anything, and it won't change anything. You and Sam looked so peaceful….I didn't have the heart to ruin that. I put things in motion, though. Well, Kristine did."

"What do you mean?"

"I think we need to move Sam out of here, get him somewhere safer. She's got medical transport all but set up and…." Bobby stopped talking when his cell phone started to ring. He looked at the display. "Speak of the devil."

Dean sipped at his coffee while listening to Bobby's side of the conversation, not that he had much to say. He expected Bobby to hand over the phone before ending the call, and was surprised when he slipped it back into his pocket. "It's all set up."

"What's all set up?"

"Kristine got in touch with the doctor she uses at the estate. When we're ready, he's going to call Dr. Douglas saying he's the family physician. I assume you used the standard name when you filled out the admission paperwork?" He paused long enough for Dean to nod. "Okay. Good. He said as long as Sam is medically stable, there's no reason they won't release him as long as we request it. We'll just tell them we want to take him home to recuperate."

Dean nodded. He was still angry with Bobby, but decided to let it go for the time being.

"I think you should go with him, at least initially. I'll stay here and work with Kyle and his group, see if we can get to the bottom of what's going on."

"I don't like any of this," Dean said.

"Yeah, neither do I, but all we can do is make the best of it."

"I guess," Dean said, then looked at Bobby. "Uh, what kind of transportation did Kristine arrange?"

"I don't know the details. She wants you to give her a call – she's got the morning off."

"Yeah, okay." Dean leaned forward again. "I'm still pissed at you, but….thanks."

Bobby nodded.

"I don't want to leave Sam alone with a demon on the loose."

"Yeah, I figured. But you need to get some sleep and talk to Kristine. I'll take you back to the motel, then I'll go to the hospital."

"Bobby, I –"

"That's non-negotiable."

"You really are a take-charge sonofabitch all of a sudden," Dean said, having a hard time hiding a smile.

"Yeah, well, it's the real me, cupcake."

-----

Dean took a short shower, then slipped into clean clothes and dialed Kristine's cell phone number.

"Hi," she answered brightly.

"Hey. I hear you've been pretty busy."

"You okay with all of it?"

"If there's a demon here, I want to get Sam away, so yeah. He moved his head this morning."

"That's great!"

"Once he's out of here, we can find out once and for all if this is real or supernatural." Dean didn't want to get distracted by too much celebrating too early. "What kind of transportation did you arrange?"

"Well…."

"Aw hell, it's a plane, isn't it?"

"That's the only option for anything over 200 miles, Dean. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, it's not like I can't let him go on his own."

"That isn't a problem. And Dean, this isn't going to be like a commercial flight. It's gonna be okay."

"Yeah, whatever." He heard Kristine laugh lightly. "Nice, Kristine. Thanks."

"I know you hate to fly."

"Yeah, yeah. So, what happens when we get him to North Carolina?"

"We're going to set up a room for him here. Once Michael talks to the doctor there, he'll know for certain what we need."

"Thank you, Kristine. I…."

"You're welcome," she said simply.

"Look, I know Bobby's at the hospital, but I feel like I need to be there, too."

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Yeah, some. More than usual."

"Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yeah."

They spoke for another few moments, then Dean headed back to the hospital.

oooOOOooo

"The hospital keeps paging Dr. Douglas."

"So? Call the hospital," Joanne, the witch, said.

"I don't wanna play doctor anymore."

"You're the one who said we had to stay here."

"Only because you and that idiot vampire haven't come up with a better place yet."

Joanne rolled her eyes and shuffled the deck of cards she'd been holding. "Why don't we just pick a direction and go? Let the Winchesters handle themselves, and we'll find a place. This town is too hot right now. There are police – and hunters – all over that bartender's house. They know there's a demon in town now, so there's nothing left for us here."

The demon rolled Dr. Douglas' eyes. "Maybe you're right."

She laid out the cards for a round of Solitaire. "Of course I'm right. We can take off once Emerson wakes up."

"Or, we could just leave without him."

She ignored the suggestion. "You gonna leave the meat suit in tact?"

"I'll have to think about that," he said as the doctor's cell phone started to ring. He pulled it out of a pocket, and threw it at the wall. "Oops."


	3. Chapter 3

**Stars Shine in the Dark**

**Chapter 3**

oooOOOooo

_First ask yourself: What is the worst that can happen? Then prepare to accept it. Then proceed to improve on the worst_

_Dale Carnegie_

oooOOOooo

"They still haven't been able to get in touch with Sam's doctor," Bobby told Dean. "He didn't show up for morning rounds."

"That's weird."

"I called Kyle, and he's gonna see what he can find out."

"Where's Sam?"

"They're doing the MRI. If they haven't located Sam's doctor by the time they're done, they'll have another neurologist look at it."

Dean walked to the window in Sam's room, and stared into the parking lot below. "If there's a demon in town, and Sam's doctor is missing…."

"Don't jump to conclusions," Bobby warned.

"I want to get him out of here. I talked to Kristine, and I'm not thrilled about the plane, but that's the only option." Dean turned around. "I'm gonna see if Linda is in her office. They say when they'd be done with Sam?"

Bobby looked at his watch. "Another twenty minutes or so. You go. I'll wait here."

Dean nodded. "Thanks."

-----

Linda smiled at Dean as he walked into her office.

"Got a minute?"

"Of course. Have a seat."

"I heard that Dr. Douglas wasn't answering his pages."

"That's true," she said. "But don't worry about your brother. We're a hospital, we have lots of doctors."

Dean didn't find the joke particularly funny, but he forced a smile. "Look, uh. Bobby and I have been talking, and we want to take Sam home."

"Dean, really, you don't have to worry about Dr. Douglas. We –"

"No, it's not that. We just think Sam would do better in a familiar place, with people he knows. Bobby talked to our family doctor and he's thinks it's a good idea."

"Well, I can't argue with the logic," Linda said kindly. "But you realize he's going to need specialized care and –"

"I know. We're going to arrange for whatever he needs."

"Okay, then. Well, I can't authorize it, but I'll bring it up with Dr. Douglas, or whomever ends up looking at these latest scans."

"I really want to get the arrangements made as soon as possible."

"We'll take care of the paperwork as soon as the MRI is over," Linda promised.

-----

Sam had already been settled back in his room when Dean finished with Linda. Most of the paperwork had been completed, but still needed the doctor's signature. Linda spent a few minutes on the phone with Michael Tayburn, Kristine's doctor friend, and arrangements were moving forward.

Dean sat on Sam's bedside. Sam looked tired, but somehow more alert than he had before. Dean looked to Bobby. "Did you tell him anything?"

"Not yet."

Dean looked back to Sam. "We're gonna break you out of here. I'm taking you to Kristine's." He was sure Sam raised his eyebrow, just a little bit. "Everything's okay. There's no medical reason for you to be here any more, and I think you'll get better faster if you're around more people that you know. Okay?"

Sam blinked once.

"That's my boy," Dean smiled. He glanced toward the door when he heard it open.

"I'm Dr. Randall," the newcomer said with a smile. "We've still not been able to locate Dr. Douglas, so I'm going to talk to you about the most recent scans."

Dr. Randall was much more thorough with his explanation than Dr. Douglas had been, but the end result was basically the same. The scans didn't show any reason for Sam's condition. Dr. Randall agreed that it wasn't entirely unusual, and he was encouraged that Sam had shown progress in such a short period of time.

"I spoke with Linda before coming here," the doctor said as he looked at Dean. "She mentioned that you and your uncle want to take Sam home."

"Yeah, it just makes sense."

"I agree," the doctor said, and turned to Sam. "When I'm done here, I'm going to give your doctor a call to discuss your condition. I'll get a report faxed to him, and we'll send complete records with you."

Dr. Randall stayed to answer Dean and Bobby's questions, then left the family alone. Sam fell asleep soon after, and Dean took the opportunity to go downstairs where he could use his cell phone.

oooOOOooo

Kyle sat behind the wheel of his car, staring out of the windshield. Purely by accident, he'd come across a sedan crashed into a tree along the side of the road. He'd checked for passengers, finding only one. The man was clearly dead, and Kyle would have left it exclusively to the police had he not smelled the sulfur.

He checked for identification on the dead man, finding a wallet in his pants pocket. He didn't recognize the name, but made the connection when he saw the man's work ID badge. He was a doctor at the same hospital where Sam was a patient. He'd not been able to get in touch with Bobby, but through alternate means found out that he'd been Sam's doctor.

Once he was finished looking around, Kyle had made an anonymous call to 911, then drove toward the hospital. He was lost in thought when the traffic light turned green, and didn't move until he heard the angry beep of the car behind him. Kyle glanced into the rearview mirror, as if the driver behind him could see his apology, before going through the intersection.

Kyle didn't know where Sam's room was, but it was a simple matter of asking at the main information desk. He was also told that he'd have to check in at the nurses' station. He made his way to the elevator, then upstairs, but he saw Bobby before getting to the nurse.

"What's going on?" Bobby asked him.

Kyle nodded to a more private spot in the hallway. "Sam's doctor is dead." He could clearly see Bobby's shock, and quickly told him the story.

Bobby looked toward Sam's room, then back to Kyle. "You're sure?"

"I smelled the sulfur."

"Damnit." Bobby ran a hand over his face. "This is....I wish we could get Sam out of here sooner, but all the arrangements were made for tomorrow morning. Your friends still here?"

"They're around. Why?"

"We're gonna need protection until Sam is in the air."

"I'll round 'em up," Kyle said. "But I've got more news first."

-----

Sam was still extremely limited, but as Bobby stood on the other side of the door, watching through the small window, he thought Sam seemed much more aware of his surroundings than even a few hours ago. He was able to smile slightly, and his hands were more under his control than before.

Bobby watched as the brothers interacted. He knew it had to be frustrating for them both, but they'd always had an unspoken form of communication, and that no doubt was helping them now.

Bobby was methodically working through questions like at what point had Sam's doctor become possessed? He suspected that is was fairly early on; probably right from the beginning. But for what purpose? Just to keep an eye on Sam, or to interfere with his progress? Was it just a coincidence that Dr. Douglas had been gone for hours, and Sam was suddenly improving? Bobby didn't think so. He also wondered if the demon was working with the witch and the vampire. He'd never heard of such a thing, but nothing was impossible, he supposed.

Bobby thought about the wisdom of not telling the brothers about Dr. Douglas. Dean needed to know if only for added vigilance, but did Sam need to know? Bobby pushed the door open, having made the quick decision that keeping it from either of them wasn't fair. One of their biggest complaints about their father, and one Bobby had shared, was that he had kept too much information from them. Bobby had no intention of doing the same thing.

"How's it going in here?" Bobby asked, trying not to sound as morose as he felt.

"Not bad," Dean said with genuine happiness in his voice. He glanced conspiratorially at his brother, and Bobby knew better than to ask. He was also reevaluating his decision to be honest, but forced himself to speak before he lost the nerve. "I need to tell you something."

Dean looked at him. "What's going on?"

"I just talked to Kyle," Bobby glanced at Sam. "He's a hunter who lives in the area, and he's been helping us look into some things."

"What did he find, Bobby?"

"Well," Bobby paused. "He found Dr. Douglas. His car crashed head-long into a tree. He didn't know who it was at first, and was just looking for victims. Douglas is definitely dead, and….Kyle said there was sulfur all over the car."

"He was possessed?" Dean asked, his face going pale.

"Looks like it," Bobby said, looking to Sam. He almost preferred him not being able to express his feelings. Right now, there was fear all over his face.

"You think he was possessed all along, don't you?"

"I don't know, but I think it's likely."

"Sonofabitch!" Dean growled. He stood up and paced for a moment, but sat back on Sam's bedside before Bobby could intervene.

"Kyle's gone to get some other hunters he knows. They're gonna stick around the hospital until Sam is on that plane in the morning," Bobby said. "And chances are, the demon killed Douglas because it's moving on. If it wanted to stay close to us, it had the perfect cover."

"Any word on the vampire?" Dean asked.

"No, but there is on the witch."

"Oh?"

Bobby wasn't sure how much Dean had told Sam, or how well he'd been able to process it, but he forged ahead. "She's been around here for a few years, and is fairly well known in certain circles. She comes and goes, doesn't seem to live anywhere in particular. Kyle knew of her, and says she goes by the name of Joanne."

"And she's a real witch? Not just a poser?"

"She's the real deal, though she's been known to make a living by reading fortunes. What surprised Kyle was that she'd be keeping company with a vampire, let alone a demon. I suppose technically we don't know the three of them have been together, but it stands to reason they have." Bobby sat down in the recliner, but leaned forward. "She's always been a loner. She kept to herself, and never really caused any problems that he knew of."

"Does he know how to get in touch with her?"

"He might. He's working on that while rounding up his buddies."

The three men were quiet for several minutes, then Dean looked toward his friend. "Damn, Bobby. We were just after a vampire. What the hell happened?"

"Guess it was the wrong vampire." Bobby saw Sam flex his fingers and he surreptitiously gestured to Dean. "Look, I think I'm gonna go downstairs for a few minutes to make some phone calls. I'll be back soon."

-----

Dean knew that Bobby really left to give him some time with Sam, not that it mattered since there was nothing that Dean couldn't say in front of their friend. But once the door closed, Dean turned his attention to his brother.

"Do we know how to pick the jobs, or what?" he asked with a grin. Sam's expression remained serious. He still didn't have a lot of range, but Dean saw the look in his eyes. Sam was understandably afraid because he couldn't do much to defend himself, but Dean still hated to see it. "I'm gonna ask you something, and I want you to be completely honest. Okay?"

Sam blinked once, and managed a small nod.

"Do you think your demon ganking power is still working?"

Sam didn't respond, but there was a question in his eyes.

"Look, Sam, I don't plan on leaving you alone. If I'm not here for some reason, Bobby will be. But if something happens….well, under the circumstances, I wouldn't be mad at you if you popped the demon."

oooOOOooo

Sam was asleep when Bobby came back later. He and Dean sat across the room and spoke in hushed tones.

"From what Kyle found out, Joanne tends to hang out at the same bar where Brandon worked before he was killed. I guess it wasn't a one-time sighting. He's gonna check it out tonight."

"I want to be there. Will you stay with Sam?"

"I guess it wouldn't do any good for me to suggest you let Kyle and his buddies handle this, would it?"

"Bobby, Sam and I started this. And after what happened to Sam? I need to be there."

"All right, I won't try to stop you. I'll stay with Sam."

Dean looked toward his brother. "He's getting better, don't you think?"

"No doubt about it."

"You think it's a coincidence?"

"Nope."

"Yeah, me neither." Dean was quiet for a few moments. "I watched the physical therapy earlier. Just a couple of days ago, Sam was able to run and beat the crap out of just about anyone. Now he needs help to lift his arm."

"You said it yourself. He's getting better."

"I know he is. It's just…."

"Yeah, I know. But you can't get lost in it. You talk to Kristine about the arrangements lately?"

"A little earlier. She said Michael, the doctor, was on the phone with Dr. Randall for quite a while, then he gave Kristine a list of things she needed to have in place before Sam got there. Then, I guess, there's stuff that Michael has to arrange for. She's really going above and beyond for this."

"I doubt she sees it that way."

Dean smiled fondly. "You're probably right. 'Course she'd probably do the same thing for any hunter who needed it."

"Maybe, but you know there's a special place in her heart for you two."

Dean rubbed his face. "Yeah. So, can you let Kyle know that I want to be with him when he goes to that bar?"

"Yeah, I'll give him a call now. Then I want you to take a break, okay? You've been here for hours."

Dean didn't respond, but Bobby was determined to get his way. He patted Dean's shoulder on his way out the door.

-----

Sam had heard part of the conversation between Dean and Bobby. He knew his brother would want to be involved in hunting for the creatures. He wished there was a way to tell Dean that he didn't need to go to North Carolina. Actually, Sam wanted him to stay here to deal with the hunt.

Sam didn't know if he was going to get any better than he was now, and the last thing he needed to be concerned with was a demon, witch and vampire coming after him. He'd been surprised by Dean asking him about his power, and being okay with him using it, but he didn't know if it worked.

Hell, he wasn't even sure his thoughts even made sense. He didn't know what he remembered, and what he'd made up, so maybe it was best that he couldn't tell Dean to stay until the job was done.

oooOOOooo

Dean walked into the bar, and took a table near the back where he could see the door. He was about half an hour earlier than Joanne was normally seen, and he hoped she didn't know what he looked like. The vampire, no doubt did, though. He ordered a beer when the waitress came by, then settled back into the shadows.

A few minutes later, he saw two of Kyle's friends come in, with Kyle following a bit later. They each sat in different areas of the bar, but Kyle made himself more conspicuous than the others. The room wasn't overly crowded, probably because it was a weeknight, but there were enough people there to provide cover.

Dean was halfway through his beer when a lone woman walked into the bar. He caught Kyle's eye, who gave him a stealth nod. As Dean watched, Joanne took a stool at the bar and a drink was put in front of her that she hadn't needed to ask for. Not long after, Kyle moved to the empty stool next to her.

-----

"Oh, great," Joanne said with obvious boredom. "A hunter. They'll let anyone in here."

Kyle wasn't surprised that she recognized him. "How's it going?"

"I'm sitting next to a hunter. What do you think?"

"I just want to talk to you," he said. "No need for hostility."

She laughed, picking up her martini. "You think I'm being hostile?"

"Where's your vampire friend?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said before another sip.

"Don't play coy. I know you've been hanging out with a vampire. It's kind of weird, but whatever floats your boat. I just want to know where he is."

Joanne rolled her eyes. "He left."

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know."

"Where are you supposed to meet him?"

"Now you're reaching."

"Oh, come on. I'm really not in the mood for this. Can't you just cooperate?"

"You're a funny hunter." She turned around, and slipped off the stool. "Let's get a table. I like you."

Kyle followed the witch to a table, with a glance toward his friends.

"So, what do you want with Emerson?" Joanne asked once they sat down.

"He hurt a friend of mine."

"Yeah, well the way I heard it, your friend was trying to stake him."

"Oh, he said, he said."

Joanne laughed. "I really do like you. So, how do you know me?"

"It's my job to know who's around. How'd you know I was a hunter?"

"Please. You may as well be wearing a name tag."

"Ouch." Kyle swallowed some of his beer. "So what is it with you and Emerson?"

"Oh, it's nothing much. Just a way to relieve a little boredom."

"And the demon?"

She looked at him, clearly surprised.

"Yeah, I know about your Ménage à Trois from Hell," Kyle said. "I also know that your demon friend was possessing a doctor. The same doctor treating my friend."

"You don't say?" she mocked, slipping an olive into her mouth.

"Of course, the doctor is dead. Seems he drove his car into a tree, but I bet he had some help with that." Kyle watched the woman across from him, but she didn't react. "I don't suppose you know where the demon is?"

"Around, I'm sure."

"Yeah? Around, as in, still in town?"

"Look, what is it that you expect me to tell you?" Joanne asked. "I met a vampire who wanted to have a little fun, so I had some fun with him."

"And the demon?" Kyle saw her eyes turn away briefly. "You're afraid of the demon, aren't you?"

"Oh, newsflash, Hunter. Who _isn't _afraid of a demon?"

Kyle was frustrated, and tired of this game. It wasn't like he'd really expected the witch to be upfront with him, but her attitude was annoying him. He reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a small velvet bag. He dropped it onto the table, finding a certain satisfaction in Joanne's nervous expression. "You know what that is?"

"That won't work on me."

"No? Then why did you get so pale?" Kyle laid a hand on the bag. "It may not be able to control you completely, but well enough. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like some real answers."

"Put that away, and I'll tell you what you want to know."

Kyle motioned toward the bar, indicating they wanted another round. "Maybe in a minute."

A waitress dropped off their drinks, and Joanne took a quick sip. "There really isn't anything going on."

"Now, why don't I believe that?" Kyle pulled his beer closer.

"You're a very distrustful person."

Kyle took a long swallow from his beer, and Joanne followed suit with her martini. He watched her closely, pretending to be disinterested.

"What did you do?" she asked, obviously feeling the effects of the sedative. When he was sure she was close to being asleep, Kyle signaled to the rest of the group.

-----

Joanne's eyes opened slowly, and the first thing she saw was Kyle smiling at her. She looked around to see that she was in a room empty of furniture except for her seat. She wasn't sure, but thought the room was in a house. "What did you do to me?" she asked, her voice gravely. She realized she was very thirsty.

"Just a little something that put you to sleep for a little while. And now you're awake and tied to a chair."

"You're not serious," she said, trying to move her arms, and finding them immobile. She looked down, and saw that Kyle had not lied. "What the hell is this!"

"You were right about that little bag. It didn't have anything in it that would do a thing to you. But your drink was spiked, and now you're my guest."

She looked around the room, seeing three other men. Kyle nodded toward Dean. "That's my friend's brother. Dean's even more curious about your vampire friend than I am. The demon, too."

"And why would I tell you anything?"

"Because you're tied to a chair, and we're not letting you go until you give us some information."

She stared at him. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Sure, I do," he grinned. "I know everything there's to know about you."

"I don't have time for the games," Dean said as he stepped forward. "Talk."

Joanne knew she didn't have much of a choice. She had some pretty powerful skills, but she couldn't do much while tied to a chair. Emerson had already gone on ahead, and she couldn't get in touch with the demon. It had a habit of showing up only when it wanted to, anyway.

"I need some water. Un-spiked, please."

"No need to spike your drink now, Sweetheart," Dean said as he opened a bottle of water. He handed it to Kyle, who held it to Joanne's lips. She drank nearly 1/3 of it before turning her head away.

Kyle set the bottle on the floor, then leaned forward. "Talk."

"Emerson and I met at a club a while back. At first, he didn't know I was a witch. It's hard to miss a vampire. I was….curious. We got our freak on, and then just started hanging out. Emerson does what he does, so we had to move around a little bit to keep him out of trouble."

"And the demon?" Kyle asked.

"He just showed up a couple weeks ago, but he knew Emerson. We all just hang out, really. The demon provides Emerson with….food, so he doesn't have to hunt. He can only feed off of me so much."

"Okay," Dean said, not hiding his disgust. "We don't need a play by play. What's the demon's endgame?"

"Endgame? We agreed to stay here for a while, corrupt a few people, and move on. He has some specific criteria – it has to be a city, no rural areas. Stuff like that. I only met up with him here, but he and Emerson have been together for a while. He knows the criteria better than I do."

"Uh-huh," Kyle said, glancing at Dean.

"Oh, come on guys," Joanne said. "I'm telling you the truth here. Since Emerson attracted hunters, we decided to move on. He's gone, and once he's settled he's going to tell me where to meet him. The demon has his own ways of finding us."

"What was the demon doing possessing Dr. Douglas?" Kyle asked her.

"He wanted the Winchesters distracted to give us time to find a new place."

"Why did he kill Douglas?"

"I don't know. Maybe because he's a demon, and he does bad things."

"Is my brother really hurt, or was it all some ploy of the demons?" Dean asked.

Joanne looked at him. He sounded dangerous and looked even more scary. "He asked me to put together a few hex bags and –"

Dean rushed forward, and grabbed her wrists. He leaned toward her, less than an inch from her face. "What kind of hex bags?"

"The usual kind," she said, shaking. "I only assume they were for your brother."

"Where did he put them?" Dean demanded.

She couldn't hold back her tears. "I don't know."

Kyle pulled Dean away, but Joanne didn't think he had any control over the other man, and she was afraid. Through her tears, she could see Kyle whispering to Dean, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. After a few moments, Dean nodded and walked out of the room.

"I've told you all I know," Joanne said. She was still trembling. "I don't know how to get in touch with the demon, or with Emerson. If the demon had ulterior motives, I don't know what they are. Please…."

Kyle walked around her a few times, then stood in front of her. "We're just gonna stay here for a little while."

oooOOOooo

Bobby was dozing in the recliner, but was immediately alert when Dean slammed into the room. Dean began to search the room frantically, and Bobby saw the startled expression on Sam's face. When he saw his brother, he seemed to relax, but Dean didn't acknowledge him or Bobby.

"Dean, what the hell?" Bobby asked as he stood up.

"There are hex bags in here somewhere," Dean said as he opened a cabinet door and shuffled through the contents.

"What? How do you know?"

"We got the witch, and she told us."

"Okay, okay," Bobby said. "Look, settle down, and we'll do this methodically."

"We don't have time for that!"

"If you keep making that much noise, you're going to attract a nurse," Bobby grabbed his shoulder, and Dean pulled his arm back, poised for a punch. Bobby looked into his eyes, and Dean backed off. "Calm down. Now, nurses have been in every cabinet and cubby hole in here. Let's think about this logically."

After a moment of staring at each other, both men moved to Sam's bed, and started examining it carefully.

"It's okay, Sammy," Dean said, no doubt finally realizing how this all could be affecting him. "Just trust me."

"It's not here, Dean," Bobby said after several more minutes of searching.

"It's here somewhere." Dean stood in near Sam's bed, looking around the room. After a moment, he and Bobby continued their search, but half an hour later, they still hadn't found anything.

Frustrated, Dean went back to his brother's bed, and sat on the edge. He laid a hand on the sheet covering Sam's leg.

"He'll be out of here in a few hours," Bobby said, sitting on the recliner. "If there's something in here somewhere, it won't matter then."

Dean looked at his watch, and nodded. "I guess you're right. The ambulance will be here in just over seven hours."

"You need to go back to the motel and get your stuff together," Bobby said to Dean.

"I'm not leaving," he looked at Bobby. "No offense."

"None taken." Bobby knew Dean trusted him, but when his brother was in danger, no one could take care of him but Dean. "You get anything else out of the witch?"

"Kyle and two of his friends are still trying, but I think we got all out of her we were going to. She swears she can't get in touch with the demon, and that the vampire has already taken off."

"What were they doing here?"

"If she's telling the truth, just doing random evil crap because they could. There was no plan."

"Not even on the part of the demon?"

"Not that she knew about. He possessed the doctor to keep us distracted while they looked for a new place to go. Apparently the demon has criteria."

"So there is an endgame," Bobby mused.

"Maybe, I don't know."

"That's a problem for another day," Bobby said, noticing that since the adrenaline had worn off, Dean looked exhausted. "Kyle and his boys can keep the witch until the demon or vampire gets in touch, and we'll handle them then."

Dean nodded. "Yeah."

"Dean, I've got back-up here, and I took precautions. You're tired, and you've got a long day tomorrow. Why don't you go back to the motel, and get some sleep? You can gather your stuff and –"

"I'm not leaving," Dean said firmly.

As Bobby watched, Sam slowly moved his hand until he was touching his brother. Dean looked at him, surprised, and Sam smiled as best as he could. He stared at Dean, obviously trying to tell him something. It seemed to Bobby that Dean at least suspected what his brother was trying to say, but was denying it.

Sam's mouth moved, just a little, and it was obvious he was struggling. Finally, he managed to form a simple word. "Go."

Tears sprang into Bobby's eyes. He wasn't sure if it was because Sam had managed to speak, or that his first concern was for Dean.

"Sammy…." Dean's voice cracked.

"Go," Sam said again. The movement seemed easier this time, but his voice was quieter.

"I do—"

"Stop being dense, boy," Bobby said. "He wants you to leave."

"But –"

Sam slowly moved his head to look more fully at Bobby, his eyes pleading.

"He wants you to go to sleep." Bobby looked to Sam, now seeing gratitude on his face.

Dean looked at his brother. "That's what you want?"

Sam blinked once, and Bobby knew Dean would give in.

"Okay, but I'll be back early."

"Don't go back to the house," Bobby said. "Let Kyle handle it."

Dean glanced at him, and nodded.

oooOOOooo

Kyle thought that Joanne had told them the truth; at least as far as it went. Maybe she didn't know what the demon was really up to, but it seemed odd that he would have criteria for places they could live if he didn't have some sort of plan.

Before bringing Joanne to the empty house in a remote area of town, the hunters had taken precautions. They'd made it possible for a demon to get in, but not so easy for it to leave. Even if Joanne didn't know how to get in touch with him, Kyle knew he might come to her rescue, and he'd wanted to be ready.

She wasn't under the effects of the sedative any more, but fear had exhausted her, and was now asleep in the chair. Kyle watched her, wondering what Dean had found at the hospital. He knew it might be a while before he or Bobby could get in touch, but he was nervous.

Kyle hated the idea that a demon was loose in his area. How could he have missed the signs of demon activity? He knew that he'd have to step up his game.

He glanced at his phone when it started to ring. "Dean."

"Hey. We didn't find anything in Sam's room."

"Really?" Kyle was surprised.

"We looked everywhere. Even in the mechanical parts of the bed. If there's a hex bag in that room, I don't know where it is. But he'll be out of there in a few hours, so it won't matter."

"How's that working tomorrow? You leaving with him?"

"Yeah. Bobby's gonna stay here for a while. We were thinking you guys could keep an eye on the witch until her playmates get in touch."

"Yeah, of course. Before she fell asleep, we had her tell us the other towns they'd played their little game in. I thought maybe there might be a pattern, but there doesn't seem to be."

"Huh, well, that was a good thought anyway."

"You know, it seems odd."

"What's that?"

"Well….why would the demon go to all that trouble to keep you and Sam distracted? Why not just kill you?"

"I don't know," Dean said, his voice strained.

Kyle regretted brining it up. Dean didn't need anything else to worry about, though Kyle was sure the question had to have occurred to him.

"Look, you need any help tomorrow? I'm sure one of my guys would be willing to fly with you, or –"

"Thanks, man, but we're covered. Look, uh, I appreciate everything you've done so far."

"No sweat. It's what we do, right?"

"Yeah. But thanks, anyway."

-----

Dean ended the call, his mind stuck on Kyle's question. He'd wondered about that himself, but there were any number of reasons the demon wouldn't kill them. Maybe he wasn't allowed to, or was afraid to. It wasn't just anyone who was brought back from Hell, and Sam….Dean shook his head. He didn't want to think about his brother's power right now.

He was still pissed that Castiel had been ignoring his pleas, and only belatedly wondered where Ruby had been hiding. That was something else Dean didn't want to think about. It was late, but he picked up the phone he'd dropped onto the seat next to him, and dialed Kristine's number.

She sounded tired when she answered.

"Did I wake you?"

"It's after midnight," was her only answer. "How are things there?"

"That's way too big a question right now."

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, just really tired. And not all that thrilled about getting on a freakin' plane in a few hours."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay with that? Why don't you have Bobby come with you?"

"He's got things to do here. Besides, someone has to bring the Impala to me."

"I told you I could send someone for your car."

"Not just anyone can drive my car," Dean said defiantly, and heard Kristine sigh.

"I know. So, what are you doing now?"

"Sam kicked me out of his room. He wanted me to get some sleep."

"Sam kicked you out?"

"He managed to say one word. He said it twice, though."

"Dean, that's fabulous! I've been doing some reading about his condition…."

"I knew you'd do that." Dean couldn't help but laugh. "So, is everything set there?"

"Yeah. We got the bed in today, and Michael has all the monitoring equipment ready. It was a little bit of a challenge finding the staff, but we managed. Michael knows a neurologist we can trust, and it just went from there. We've still got a few things to do, but we'll be ready."

"We may not need everything after all," Dean said. He'd just pulled into the motel parking lot, and it was as if just being there had sucked out the last of his energy. He was still worried about his brother, but he really just wanted to sleep.

"What do you mean?"

Dean quickly told her about the hex bags. "But since we didn't find them, maybe Sam's condition is for real."

"I guess we'll know when he gets here."

"How is Nicholas?" Dean asked as he walked into the room. He sat down hard on the closest bed.

Kristine must have heard the fatigue in his voice. "He's doing okay. Are you at the motel yet?"

"Just walked in."

"Why don't you just go to bed?"

"Yeah, I think I will."

"Call me before you take off if you get a chance."

"I will. Kristine, I….There's no way I'll ever be able to thank you for this.'

"Go to sleep, Babe. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Dean managed to set the alarm before he drifted off to sleep.

oooOOOooo

Dean was still tired when he woke up a few hours later, but he felt a little better after a quick shower. It didn't take him long to gather his and Sam's things, and when he parked at the hospital, he felt a pang of regret for his car. He ran his hand over the hood, looking at her fondly. He knew Bobby would drive her to North Carolina as soon as things were tied up in St. Louis, but he already missed having her nearby.

He carried the bags with him, and wasn't entirely surprised to see Bobby sitting near the main doors as he walked through the automatic door.

"They're already getting him ready?" Dean nodded.

The old man nodded tiredly. "Yeah. And that recliner of yours isn't so comfortable."

Dean smiled. "Tell me about it. Thanks for staying here last night. Everything go okay?"

"It was fine. Sam slept most of the time."

"I can't believe he was able to say something," Dean said thinking back to the previous night.

Bobby laughed. "And he kicked you out of his room. That was my favorite part." Dean scowled at him, but Bobby threw his arm around his shoulders. "Come on. I'll let you buy me a cup of coffee."

-----

"I talked to Kyle," Bobby said once they were settled in the hospital cafeteria. "No news from that front yet. I'm gonna head to the motel when we're done here, and get cleaned up before meeting up with him. We gotta figure out what to do with the witch."

"You should try to get some sleep."

"That's funny coming from you," Bobby said as he reached for his coffee cup. He looked at Dean with a sideways glance. "You okay about today?"

"I'm trying not to think about it."

"It's a short flight."

"I guess that makes it better."

"You talk to Kristine?"

"Before I went to sleep last night. Everything was just about ready there. I can't believe how fast she put this all together."

"She's a handy girl to have around," Bobby said, and ignored Dean's curious glance. "Oh, yeah, the hospital found out about Dr. Douglas' accident. One of the nurses told me about it before kicking me out of Sam's room. It sounds like they're going to do an autopsy, which makes sense."

"That should be interesting," Dean said after a sip of coffee.

"No kidding."

-----

In Sam's room a little later, Dean and Bobby listened as the transportation coordinator explained how the move would work. Dean had heard about the process second hand from Kristine, but was glad to have his questions answered. He glanced Sam a few times as the coordinator spoke, but wasn't quite sure what his brother's expression said.

He'd made improvements, but Linda continued to warn Dean that he may still not understand everything around him. That was something Dean never wanted to get used to. Sam had always been smart, even when he was little. Sam not understanding something was a foreign concept.

Finally, it was time to leave for the airfield. Dean watched as Bobby said goodbye to Sam, and tears sprang into his eyes when he saw Sam trying to return Bobby's hug. Dean reluctantly handed over his car keys as Sam was taken from the room.

"Call me when you land if you can," Bobby said. "If not, once you're settled at the estate."

"I will. Bobby…." Dean pulled his friend into a long embrace. "Thanks for everything."

"You just take care of yourself, and your brother. I'll see you soon."

"Be good to my car," Dean said with a grin as he walked out of the room.

Dean stopped at the nurses' station on his way to the elevator to thank them for breaking the rules for him so that he could stay with Sam past visiting hours. After a brief conversation where they all wished him well, Dean walked away.

-----

"I'm gonna miss seeing him around" one of the younger nurses said as she leaned on the counter, looking toward the elevator doors as they closed. "He's so hot."

"Settle down, girl," another of the nurses said with a smile. She opened a desk drawer. "Have you seen the staple remover?"

"It's in there. Keep looking."

She opened the drawer further, and rummaged around in the mess. After a moment, she pulled a small velvet bag from the back. "What's this?"

"Beats me. Open it up?"

She did, and grimaced. "Old potpourri, maybe?"

"Wonder who put that in there? Just throw it away."

-----

The ride to the airfield was in a standard ambulance with the coordinator following in a car behind. Dean knew that two specially trained nurses would be in the plane with, though the company could have provided any level of care that was necessary.

Dean eyed the plane warily as Sam was being taken inside.

"Your bags are in the cargo bay," the transportation coordinator said as she walked up to Dean. She must have noticed something in his expression. "Nervous flyer?"

"Something like that."

"Want to hear the platitudes?" she asked.

"No thanks. I know them all."

"You already know this, but you'll be met at the other end by an ambulance and another coordinator who will make sure Sam gets to his destination. And there are some beverages and snacks in the plane if you want something."

"Thanks," Dean nodded.

After a few minutes, a woman stuck her head out of the plane door and announced they were ready. The coordinator led a reluctant Dean inside, and introduced the nurses who would be on the flight with them. While Dean spoke with them, the coordinator checked everything out, and once the paperwork had been signed, she left the Winchesters to the medical staff.

Dean did his best to ignore the sounds of the plane getting ready to take off. He tried not to watch the door being closed, or the nurses buckling themselves in. He was grateful that they'd left the seat closest to Sam for him, and to situate the bed so that Sam could easily see him.

With no other choice, Dean forced himself to buckle his seat belt, but he kept his eyes on Sam. His brother's expression showed that he was worried, and Dean assumed the concern was for him. Sam knew how Dean felt about flying.

Dean used all of the relaxation techniques Kristine had shared with him, and by the time the plane was at its cruising altitude, he had to admit to being much less nervous than he had been. One of the nurses checked Sam again, then she and the other nurse busied themselves, leaving Dean with his brother.

It wasn't long before Dean realized that Sam was struggling to stay awake. He put a hand on Sam's leg. "If you're tired, go to sleep. I'm fine."

Sam raised an eyebrow, and Dean had to smile. Hooked up to machines, and still far from recovered, Sam wanted to take care of him. Dean unbuckled his seat belt, and got as close to Sam as he could. "I promise."

Sam looked uncertain, but he couldn't fight the fatigue much longer.

Once Sam was asleep, Dean started up a conversation with the nurses and before long, they were all playing cards. He could tell they were still keeping an eye on Sam, and his monitoring equipment was checked more often than Dean had thought necessary. The flight didn't feel nearly as long as Dean feared it would, and he was surprised when the pilot announced they were close to landing.

-----

Dean wasn't entirely surprised to see Kristine standing at the foot of the mobile stairs when he got off the plane. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her, and breathed deeply of her hair. He loved the smell of her shampoo, and would never admit to anyone that he'd gotten a bottle of it just to feel closer to her. She returned the hug, then pulled away and introduced him to the transportation coordinator that she'd been working with. She also introduced him to Michael, who then quickly made his way to the plane so he could check on his patient.

"How did it go?" Kristine asked once she and Dean were standing alone.

"I really, really hate to fly."

Kristine smiled at him. "I know ya do."

Dean looked toward the plane as Sam was brought out, and watched as he was loaded into the ambulance.

"Go on," Kristine said. "I'm riding with Michael."

"The boys know we're coming?"

"Yeah, but Ellen took them into town. Nicholas' isn't running a fever any more and was feeling better, so they're seeing a movie and having ice cream so we can get Sam settled."

"Damn, you think of everything."

"It was Ellen's idea, actually, but I agreed with her," Kristine said with a grin.

Dean returned the smile, then kissed her lightly before going to join his brother.


	4. Chapter 4

**Stars Shine in the Dark**

**Chapter 4**

oooOOOooo

_One fails forward toward success_

_Charles F. Kettering_

oooOOOooo

Bobby was mildly concerned that he hadn't heard from Dean a few hours later, but he assumed there would be a lot of activity on the other end and Dean would call when he had time. After catching a little sleep and getting cleaned up, Bobby had joined Kyle at the abandoned house.

"How much longer do you think you can keep me here?" Joanne asked.

"Well, we can keep you here as long as we want, so don't get cocky."

She glared at Kyle.

"Maybe if we keep you long enough, your demon friend will come for you."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Kyle walked away from her, and Bobby followed.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Kyle asked, leaning back against the counter.

"I guess we really can't keep her indefinitely."

"No kidding. She's way too annoying."

Bobby smiled. "She say anything else?"

"Nothing useful. We untied her for a while earlier, let her shower and eat. Even after that hospitality, she wasn't any more helpful than she's already been."

"Ungrateful," Bobby said, his smile broadening. After a moment, he sobered. "Really, though, we gotta figure something out. You really think she can't summon the demon?"

Kyle shrugged. "I don't know. Even if she could, you think she would? She'd be summoning him into a trap."

Bobby shrugged. "No harm in asking, I guess." A moment later, he and Kyle were back in the living room.

-----

Bobby really didn't think the idea would work, but they didn't exactly have a lot of options. Joanne had insisted that she didn't know how to get in contact with the demon, but eventually she admitted that there was a phone number he'd given to her and Emerson in case of emergency. She'd never used it, nor had Emerson as far as she knew. Bobby had traced the number, but was only able to find out that it was a cell phone.

Not knowing that the hunters wouldn't really keep her indefinitely, Joanne had agreed to place the call. It had gone to voicemail, and she'd left the prearranged message that she was being held captive by the hunters. She said she'd gotten a hold of one of the cell phones, and gave him the general vicinity of the house.

Bobby and the others didn't make the house demon-proof. Instead, they'd left it practically unprotected, but made it virtually impossible for the demon to escape. The expectation was that he would come to Joanne's rescue and get stuck in the house. Threatened with torture and exorcism, he would tell him what his eventual plans were.

Bobby wasn't particularly hopeful it would happen.

He'd spoken briefly to Dean. Sam was at the main house, but the equipment was still being set up, and he had to be examined. Dean told him that even though the trip had gone without event, it seemed to have taken a lot out of Sam, and he was very tired. Dean had asked what was going on there, but Bobby had glossed over it, not wanting him to worry any more than he already was.

The hunters passed the time checking their arrangements, eating take-out food, and playing poker. Hours had passed before they had any indication that their plan might work.

-----

Joanne had been moved to a slightly more comfortable chair, and although she was still tied to it, the ropes were loose. If she'd wanted to get out of the bonds, she could have, though they appeared solid. If she had, though, she would still have been in a houseful of hunters.

Joanne hadn't heard the front door open, and she was startled by a man she didn't recognize.

"Well, well," he said with a smile "You really did get yourself captured."

"Get me out of here," she hissed, knowing it had to be the demon.

He looked at her bonds, then around the room. "Where are the hunters?"

"Playing cards in the kitchen. Hurry!"

"I'm not so sure that's such a good idea."

"If you stop hesitating, we could be out of here before they realize anything."

"I'm not an idiot. They've had all kinds of time to put devils traps all over that room."

"So, what are you going to do? Just walk away and leave me here?"

"Why not? You're expendable."

"Sweet-talker," she sneered. "Why are you here, then?"

"I was curious."

"Look you bastard, if you're not going to help me, just leave."

The demon looked around again. There was no devil's trap drawn on the ceiling, and the floor appeared to be covered in wall-to-wall carpet. He took a careful step into the room, and paused.

"Hurry up!" Joanne whispered.

"Nothing wrong with a little caution."

"There are hunters in the next room," she whispered angrily.

"That's why I'm being cautious," he said taking another few steps. Closer to the chair, he used telekinesis to untie the ropes. "Let's go."

When he turned around, the demon saw two hunters standing in the hallway. Before he could react, he was splashed with holy water and when he blinked the liquid out of his eyes, he saw one of the hunters coming at him with a silver knife that seemed familiar to him somehow. He pushed the hunter into the wall with a flick of his wrist, and he glared at the other with black eyes.

The other hunter, one the demon recognized as the friend of the Winchesters. He glared at Bobby, and slammed him into the wall as well.

"Move!" he shouted to Joanne. She pushed past him and ran out the door with only a passing glance at the hunters.

"And here I thought it was a mistake for me to walk into this house." He looked at the hunters and laughed. After another psychic punch to both of them, the demon started to make his way to the front door. He had almost reached it when he suddenly found himself unable to move. "What the…."

A third hunter came from the porch and stood just inside the door. With his foot, he flipped up a corner of the carpet runner to reveal the edge of a devil's trap.

"I just came through here!" the demon bellowed.

"I only had to add a couple more symbols to make it complete," he said proudly.

"Well, well, well…." The demon smiled. He was angry, but he had to appreciate a clever move. "So what do we do now?"

"You tell us why you're here," Bobby said.

"I'm here to rescue Joanne, but I see now that wasn't necessary." He watched as Joanne drove away in the car he'd arrived in. "She was working with you?"

"Not all that willingly," Bobby answered. "But I meant you'll tell us why you're in town."

"Oh, that." The demon waved his hand. "I like wreaking havoc."

"What was your plan?"

"My plan? Oh, for Pete's sake. This is all Azazel's fault," he groused. "It's his fault you all think there has to be a big plan. Some of us just like to have a little fun."

Bobby said a few words in Latin, causing the demon to cry out in pain. "I'm not lying!" A few more words from Bobby sent the demon to his knees. A puff of black smoke came from his mouth, but was quickly sucked back in. "I just like playing around!"

"You wanna go wait with the others?" Bobby looked at the young hunter, who looked disappointed, but agreed with a small nod. It had been part of the plan that Bobby and Kyle be left alone with the demon. Once the boy was gone, Bobby turned back to the prisoner. "What was your interest in Sam Winchester?"

"He was about to stake Emerson. I was just protecting my friend."

"Since when do demons have friends?" Bobby scoffed, and followed up his question with a few more words in Latin.

"Stop that!" the demon wailed. "Look, I snuck up on the kid when he was about to get Emerson. He must have sensed me behind him, or something, and he turned. He started yelling for his brother, and I knew the situation was about to go to hell. Pardon the expression."

"Go on."

"I tried to shove him against the wall, but I couldn't budge him. And he _looked_ at me….I could feel myself being sucked out of the meat suit. I heard rumors about that kid," the demon snorted. "I guess they're true. I couldn't attack him, but Emerson smacked him over the head. Sam went down, and Emerson whacked him again. He was out, but I couldn't resist a boot to his head. Then I heard the other one coming, so I got out of there. Emerson jumped out the window, and that's all I know."

"Why'd you possess the doctor?"

"For some fun. And to keep an eye on the kid, make sure he didn't recover too quickly."

"And you didn't have a plan for him?"

The demon rolled his eyes. "I told you, some of us just like to play around. There isn't always master plan. I don't have one, anyway. I like to live in certain kinds of cities, and I didn't want to leave and just go anywhere. Besides, I had a little trouble at home, you might say, and I need to move carefully."

"So, you were keeping Sam from recovering? He'll get better now?"

"Unless he's really hurt," the demon couldn't resist a big grin. "You'll notice I'm not a doctor any more." He saw Bobby's irritated glare. "Oh, what? Like you've never had a little fun? Don't you hunters enjoy your work?"

Bobby pulled a small leather-bound book from his back pocket and opened it to a marked page. The demon knew what was coming next, and that there was nothing he could to do stop it.

oooOOOooo

"Hey," Kristine sat on the arm of Dean's chair.

He laid his head against her. "Hey. The boys asleep?"

They'd let Nicholas and Alex sit with Sam for a while, with Nicholas chattering almost non-stop, but Kristine had taken them away when it became obvious that Sam was tired.

"It's not that late," she said with a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

"It feels like it should be at least this time tomorrow."

"Why don't you just get ready for bed? It's not like you've been getting much sleep."

"I guess." Dean glanced around. "This room is perfect, Kristine."

In addition to plenty of bedrooms to house at least 20 hunters, the main house of the estate had dens, libraries, and other assorted rooms. She'd chosen one on the first floor, away from the activity of the rest of the house, for Sam's recuperation. The bed faced a wall of windows with a view of the mountains, and since it faced west, the morning sun wouldn't bother him.

There was a small, private deck outside once Sam was more mobile. Kristine had had most of the furniture moved out to accommodate the medical equipment, and had a twin bed for Dean brought in. The nurse she'd hired had a room close by.

"I'm glad you like it. If there's anything else you think of that he needs…."

"Yeah, thanks."

"Or, if there's anything you need," she added quietly.

Dean nodded against her. "I just need Sam to get better."

"Michael was pleased with the progress he made in only a couple days of physical therapy. He's got someone coming in tomorrow for an evaluation, and to work with him. I found a therapist who will work with him, too."

Dean nodded. After a moment, Kristine stood up, and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, bed time for you."

"Krist—" he looked toward the door when the nurse walked in.

"I'm just gonna check on Sam, and make sure he's set for the night."

"Sure, thanks, Regina. We'll be right back." Kristine led Dean out of the room, pausing in the hallway. "Take a long, hot shower. Your girlie bag of toiletries is in the bathroom, and there are clean clothes on the counter. It's stuff you left here after your last visit."

Dean pushed her gently against the wall. "Girlie bag of toiletries?"

Kristine grinned. "You heard me."

Dean leaned forward and kissed her. Her arms went around him, and he felt her respond. After a moment, she moved her hands to his chest, and pushed lightly. He looked into her eyes, seeing that she would go as far as he wanted, but he knew she'd understand if he couldn't go further than this. He moved his hand to her cheek, touching it softly. She smiled at him. "Go."

Kristine wandered back to Sam's room, and got a lesson from Regina about checking the machines, and other caretaking tasks. She and Michael had discussed the medical staff they would need, and decided to try things with one nurse rather than enough for around the clock. She'd be nearby if there was an emergency, which Michael had thought unlikely.

Once Regina was gone, Kristine moved to the windows and looked outside. The summer sun had set, but there was still some residual light. Not enough to see the details of the landscape, but she could see the outline of the mountains. She remembered loving this room when she was a kid, and idly wondered why she'd stopped spending time in it.

She turned, hearing an obvious change in Sam's breathing and saw that his eyes were open. He seemed startled. "Sam, it's okay." She sat on the edge of his bed. "Dean's in the shower. Do you remember where you are?"

He clearly hesitated before blinking, but Kristine wasn't convinced his mind was clear. "You're at the estate, all set up in a room. You and Dean got here a few hours ago."

Sam seemed more relaxed, and he managed a small nod.

"Do you remember Nicholas and Alex being in here a while ago?"

Sam looked thoughtful, and then another small nod.

"You know, it's okay if you don't remember things, or get confused. Just be honest with us, okay?"

Sam didn't respond, and Kristine didn't push him. It was probably already hard enough for him needing to have everything done for him. It was never easy for anyone, especially men, and Sam was used to taking care of himself. She smiled reassuringly, and put her hand on his. She was surprised to feel his fingers curl around hers.

"A doctor friend of mine is going to be taking care of you. You met him earlier." Kristine spoke in gentle tones. "He's not a neurologist, but he knows one that we can trust, so he'll be looking in on you, too."

Sam squeezed her hand, and she looked at him curiously. She thought he was trying to speak, so she waited. After a moment, it was obvious that he was becoming frustrated. "Just relax, Sam. You're doing fine. Do you need something?"

At first there was no response, just a labored annoyance in his eyes. "Dean…." He finally managed.

"He's in the shower," Kristine told him again.

"N-no," Sam struggled. "Okay?"

"He's fine, Sam," Kristine assured him, though she wasn't completely sure what he really meant. "He'll be back soon."

Sam looked at her, frustration clear on his face. "No!"

Kristine tried not to overreact as she tried to figure out what Sam meant. She knew it was possible that his thoughts were completely clear, but that he was having trouble associating the right words, similar to what happened to many stroke patients.

"Y….you…t-take…He…." Sam slumped against the pillow. A sheen of perspiration had formed on his face, and there were tears in his eyes.

"You want me to take care of him?" Sam looked at her with relief, and Kristine smiled. "I will. Don't worry, Sam."

Sam relaxed, and Kristine had a sudden thought. She realized that a lot of decisions had been made for him, and even though they'd all been for the best, she doubted anyone had asked him how he felt.

"Sam, are you okay with being here?"

He tried to answer verbally, but quickly gave up, blinking once instead.

"Good. I'm glad. It probably seems like a lot of things have happened around you, and I just want you to understand that we all do care what you want."

He squeezed her hand, and smiled. It was only a small smile, but it warned Kristine's heart.

oooOOOooo

"So, the witch got away," Kyle said to Bobby once they'd reconvened at the motel.

"We could have thought that part out a little better."

"The vampire shouldn't be too hard to track, and if they meet up again, we should get her, too."

"Yeah, but to tell you the truth, I'm not that concerned about her. She may be a witch, but she's human. And we need to save the vampire for Dean."

"I figured. But we'll still be keeping an eye out. You talk to him yet?"

"Just long enough to find out they got to the estate all right. I'll call him tomorrow to fill him in on what happened here."

"You think the demon was telling the truth about not having a master plan?"

Bobby took a deep breath. "Do demons ever tell the truth?"

"Occasionally, I guess."

"Thanks for your help."

"Anytime, man. I don't like crap going down in my area. I'm gonna crawl under my blankie now and get some sleep. How about breakfast in the morning?"

"Yeah. I'll meet you at the diner around eight?"

"See you then."

Once Bobby was alone in the room, he stretched out on the still-made bed, and stared at the ceiling. He was more than tired, he was weary to the bone. Even though he'd been spending nights at the motel while Dean stayed with Sam in the hospital, he hadn't been able to stop worrying long enough to get much sleep. Bobby felt better with the demon exorcised, and he hoped that when he talked to Dean tomorrow he would have good news about Sam.

-----

Bobby was late in meeting Kyle and the others the next morning. He'd called Dean to check in and the conversation had lasted longer than he thought it would.

"That's great Sam was able to speak a few words," Kyle said after Bobby shared the news. "I was hoping for a miraculous recovery once he was away from here, but any improvement is good, I guess."

"Yeah, at least it's going in the right direction," Bobby agreed.

The conversation paused while a waitress took their orders. After she was gone, one of the others, a young man without much hunting experience, leaned forward conspiratorially. "What about what that demon said? They were just messing around. Do you believe it?"

Bobby looked at him for a moment. He didn't know the kid's story, but he'd proven himself to Bobby the night before by finishing the devil's trap at the last second. "I don't know. Demons lie, but sometimes they tell the truth. If it was up to something, we put an end to whatever it was."

"What about the witch and the vampire?"

Bobby glanced at Kyle. They'd already had an extensive conversation, and had come to an agreement. Kyle looked around the table before taking over. "We're not that concerned about the witch. She's got some special abilities, but she's human. That makes her pretty much off limits. We'll try to track the vampire, but, if it's possible, he belongs to the Winchesters. It's only fair that they get to kill him considering what happened."

The others nodded in agreement. After a few more details were discussed, the conversation moved to lighter subjects, and their food arrived not long after.

Before getting on the road, Bobby gave his keys to the young hunter. He was taking it to Kyle's until Bobby could get back for it. Bobby wasn't sure how or when that would be, but he wasn't that concerned. He'd taken his weapons and other supplies out, and made room for them in the Impala. His car wasn't as important to him as the Impala was to Dean.

Once he was on the road, Bobby had to admit he was a little nervous driving Dean's car. He knew Dean trusted very few people with the Impala, and Bobby was glad to be one of them, but he felt like all the other drivers on the road were aiming for him. He was glad to get out of the city traffic, and he settled in for the drive to Mountain Ridge. There were nothing but small towns between him and Nashville, and once through it, he'd be in more rural areas again.

oooOOOooo

Sam looked exhausted when Dean checked on him in the afternoon. He'd been working with the physical therapist for an hour, and with the psychologist before that.

"You want to be alone?" Dean asked.

"No," Sam answered. Dean noticed that it was becoming easier for him to speak.

Dean sat down on the edge of the bed. "Nicholas was wondering if we could all watch a movie together later. He was thinking _Bolt_ would be a good choice."

Sam smiled. That, too, seemed to be becoming easier. "Okay."

"Well, listen to you being all chatty," Dean said with a grin. "Do you need anything? How about some water?"

"Yes, please."

Dean left to fill the pitcher with fresh water and ice. When he got back to Sam's room, Dean saw that he'd fallen asleep. Dean set the pitcher on the table, then settled into the chair with the latest issue of his favorite car magazine. It wasn't long before he was asleep, too.

-----

There was another physical therapy session scheduled for late in the afternoon, and this time Dean was supposed to stay so that he could learn how to help with some of the basic exercises. Dean found it to be somewhat uncomfortable, which he later thought to be odd. He'd been helping with some of the hygiene issues, and didn't have a problem with that. It had been strange shaving Sam's face, but Sam had definitely been happier when it was done. He'd even given Sam a sponge bath....But for some reason, the exercises bothered him the most.

But Dean pushed all of his discomfort away to concentrate on the instructions. After all, there was nothing he wouldn't do for Sam, and he knew that Sam trusted him. He also knew that Sam needed him. Kristine could hire any number of people to help, but Sam was his brother.

Bobby called to say he'd hit traffic, and with the road construction, he estimated he wouldn't get to the estate until almost midnight. He'd thought about it, and decided to stay at a motel along the highway. What he didn't say was that he hadn't gotten any more comfortable driving Dean's baby, and needed a break.

Per Nicholas' wishes, the others gathered in Sam's room that evening for a viewing of his current favorite video. He had been sure to make sure it got packed with his clothes. With Sam's permission, Nicholas carefully settled next to him in his bed. Alex sat in the chair, and the rest of the adults took the couch. Sam's nurse had declined the invitation, but had made sure he was taken care of before going to her room.

There were four hunters at the house, but Ellen and Kristine had seen to them before starting the movie. They had all been to the house before and knew where to find what they needed.

Dean kept an eye on Sam during the movie, ready to move Nicholas or take care of anything else his brother might need. He noticed Nicholas whispering to Sam a few times, and overall, Sam seemed to enjoy the evening.

-----

Bobby made it to the estate the next morning, and was welcomed with a big breakfast, courtesy of the estate's new cook, Millie. Dean felt guilty enjoying a meal away from Sam. Michael had talked about starting him off on liquids in a few days, but for now he was still getting nutrition from the NG tube.

Dean stayed with Sam for the morning physical therapy session, but the sessions with the psychologist were just for Sam. Dean suggested that Alex help him with some maintenance on the Impala, and the young man jumped at the chance. Alex and Nicholas' father had been a vintage car dealer, and had taught Alex a lot about cars. He'd impressed Dean with his knowledge of 1960's era engines the first time they met.

Even though he didn't really have any interest in cars, Nicholas complained about being left out. Before leaving for the clinic, Kristine was able distract him until he was genuinely interested in the art project she'd help him start. He was becoming quite a good artist, both drawing and sculpting. At first his favorite medium had been Play-Dough, but recognizing some natural ability, Angelica had started him in real art classes. He now worked with clay, and had very definite opinions about the best brands.

When Michael came to look in on Sam, he also checked out Nicholas' ear. There was no sign of infection, but he suggested another day or two before any swimming. There was no reason he couldn't play outside, and that's where he and Alex spent most of the afternoon. Dean ran around with them for a while, but then left them to their own devices so he could spend some time with Sam.

He'd passed along what Bobby had told him about the exorcism, but Sam wanted to hear it from Bobby. He joined the brothers and went through everything in detail.

"I'm not sure what, if anything, to do about the witch," Bobby said. "But Kyle and his buddies are trying to track the vampire. If they can, they'll save him for you."

Dean nodded, then glanced to Sam. A cloud seemed to have settled over his face, and Dean wondered what he was thinking about. In only a couple of days, he'd made a lot of progress, but he still had a long way to go.

He thought it odd that Ruby had still not been in touch, but no doubt she wouldn't feel comfortable going through Dean. He supposed she could be keeping an eye on him from a distance. He even idly wondered if she hadn't somehow been involved with what had happened to Sam, though he realized that stemmed from his doubts about her and not any logical thought. She may have helped Sam when he needed it, but just because Dean was grateful didn't mean he had to trust her.

Dean was also annoyed that there was still nothing from Castiel. He figured the angel would come to him with some sort of assignment eventually, but there would be words before he would agree to help.

-----

Once Sam was relieved of the NG tube, he was given the okay to spend some time out of bed each day. His physical therapy was going well, and it wasn't too long before he had full control of his hands and arms. It didn't surprise Dean that he wanted his computer set up, so Dean found a small desk that could accommodate the wheelchair.

Dean was happy about the progress his brother was making, but when he'd heard the demon had asked Joanne for hex bags, he hoped all of Sam's problems would be solved by getting him away from them. He and Bobby had failed to find them in Sam's room, but Dean had been sure there must have been some in the hospital.

-----

"I'm not so sure we can completely discount a hex bag having been involved," Michael said after hearing the story. "His condition isn't exactly typical of his injuries."

"Are you saying he might only be improving because we got him away from that hospital?"

Michael took the last sip of the wine Kristine had poured for him. "Well, there's no way to tell. It's entirely possible that Sam's condition was worsened because of a hex bag, but we'll never know. And I know it's frustrating, but –"

"I know he's come a long way in just a few days," Dean interrupted. "I just wish…."

Kristine put her hand on Dean's, and he looked at her with a sad smile. Michael hesitated a moment before speaking. "He's doing really well, Dean. There's no way to know how far he'll go, but so far the progress is remarkable."

"I guess I just have to be more patient," Dean said, glancing at Kristine when she chuckled. 'Yeah, not one of my best talents."

"I'm going to head home," Michael said as he stood up. "I'll check back in a couple of days. Of course, call me if something comes up."

Kristine walked the doctor to the front door, then went back to the den. Dean had moved from the couch, and was now standing at the open French doors. Kristine watched him from just inside the room. He was leaning against the door frame, beer bottle in hand, but he didn't look relaxed.

"Don't move," she said, knowing better than to sneak up on him. She walked across the room, wrapped her arms around him, and rested her cheek against his back. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Michael's right, Dean. Sam's come a long way in a short time."

"I don't wanna talk about it, Kristine. I know he's made progress, and I'm happy about that, but he's got so far to go. And I'm still pissed that he's not getting any help from the angels. Buncha dicks."

Kristine understood Dean's anger, though she had no experience with the angels. She didn't understand why, if Dean had been important enough to pull out of Hell, that there wasn't more attention paid to his brother. Unless, of course, it had to do with his powers, but that was something Kristine didn't plan to bring up.

She held him tighter.

"You've got your hands full."

"What do you mean?"

"The hunters, the boys, work, me and Sam…."

"Darlin', I've got a whole staff to help me here and work isn't too busy right now. Don't worry about me."

Dean caressed her arm. "I should get back to Sam."

"Bobby's with him."

"I know, but –"

"I'm not going to stop you, but I am going to say something to you." She kissed his back. "You can't devote 100% of your time to Sam. I know you feel guilty when you're not with him, but if you don't take care of yours—"

"I know, Kristine," Dean said, sounding tired. "And I'm trying, but it's really hard."

"I understand. Just keep in mind that Sam has me, Ellen, Bobby….Not to mention a nurse we're paying to take care of him. This doesn't all fall on your shoulders, Dean. And don't give me that line about him being your brother. I know he's your brother, and I know you feel responsible for him. I'm not telling you to desert him, I'm suggesting you think about yourself a little bit, too."

Dean turned around and put his hands on Kristine's shoulders. He stared into her eyes for a moment, then kissed her gently.

"The boys are in bed. Bobby's with Sam." Kristine put her hand on Dean's cheek, and he leaned into it. "I don't think anyone would mind us taking some time for ourselves."

Dean set the beer bottle onto an end table, then let Kristine lead him to the bedroom she'd been staying in.

oooOOOooo

Several days later, Sam was sitting alone on the small deck outside his room. The weather was perfect, and he could occasionally hear the happy yells of Nicholas and Alex as they played in the pool.

Sam had a session with the physical therapist earlier that left him angry and frustrated. Despite all the improvement in other areas, Sam still wasn't able to walk. He knew he should be happy about the other progress, but it was much easier to dwell on the negative than think about the positive.

After the workout, the physical therapist had wheeled Sam back to his room, and the nurse helped him clean up before he moved himself to the deck. He knew Dean was watching the boys while Kristine was at work and Ellen was dealing with a couple hunters who had come in late the night before, and Sam was grateful for some time alone.

He'd found his cell phone a few days before. He assumed Dean had plugged it into the charger for him, but he hadn't mentioned it. Sam thought about it for a while before trying to call Ruby. He knew she wouldn't be able to get into the house, and Dean wouldn't even want her on the grounds, but Sam couldn't help wonder if she'd be able to help him. The call went to voicemail, and she hadn't called him back yet.

The night before, Dean had told him that he'd talked to Kyle, and he had a lead on the vampire. Sam knew it was only a matter of time before the hunters found it, and he wanted to be there when it was killed. He didn't like thinking like that, but he didn't fight it. He'd been angry with his father for years because of his vengeance toward the thing that had killed his wife, but after losing Jessica, Sam understood. Then, later, he'd realized his dad's mission has as much to do with protecting him as it had getting revenge. But right now, all Sam wanted was payback.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his brother's voice behind him. He knew Dean hadn't been trying to sneak up on him, and he was annoyed that he hadn't heard the door open or close.

"You wanna have lunch with me and the kids? Millie's setting it up out—"

"No, thanks." Sam almost cringed when he heard his voice. It sounded much angrier than he'd intended, and he knew there was no say Dean hadn't heard it.

"Sam," Dean stepped out onto the deck, but Sam didn't look at him. "You okay?"

"No!" Sam exclaimed, surprising them both. He turned the chair around and glared at his brother. "I'm in a freakin' wheelchair, if you haven't noticed."

"I noticed," Dean said, his voice quiet.

Sam looked at Dean, and his anger exploded. It had nothing to do with Dean, and they both knew it. Dean listened while Sam yelled, and when Sam's energy was spent, Dean moved closer. Sam couldn't stop the tears, and when Dean leaned over to quietly put his arms around him, Sam clung to his brother like his life depended on it.

Sam wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but Dean didn't move until Sam was ready for him to. "I'm sorry," he said quietly as he wiped his face.

Dean pulled one of the chairs closer, and sat down. He leaned forward. "You don't have anything to apologize for."

"I shouldn't have lost it like that."

"Why not?"

Sam looked at him, surprised. Dean was particularly leery of what he called _chick flick moments_.

"Come on, Sam. You've been through a lot in just a few weeks, and you're still dealing with it. You don't know what's gonna happen, but for now, you're stuck in a wheelchair. You have every right to be pissed. And sad. And whatever else."

Sam looked away, thinking about what Dean had said. He turned back when he heard Dean call his name a few moments later.

"We haven't really talked about it. What happened at the house?"

Sam hadn't talked about the attack at all, he realized. While Michael had lucked out in finding a neurologist and a nurse who knew about the supernatural, he hadn't been successful in finding a therapist with the qualifications Sam needed who knew about it. Dealing with someone who has a brain injury required a unique skill set, and not just any psychologist would do. Her focus wasn't necessarily to provide counseling, but more to assess Sam's condition relative to the brain injury, and determine the best approach for rehabilitation.

Sam shifted in the wheelchair. "I….I don't really remember. It's fuzzy."

"What's the last thing you remember for sure?"

Sam was quiet as he thought about it.

"Let's try this," Dean suggested after a few moments. "Tell me the first thing you remember about the day."

"I woke up, and you were in the shower." Sam went through the rest of the day, remembering things in minute detail, until he and Dean got to the house. "I know we split up, and I remember seeing the vamp, but…." Sam slammed his fist down on the wheelchair's armrest in sudden frustration. He lifted his hand to do it again, but Dean put a hand on his wrist before he could.

"You know what a concussion is like," Dean said quietly. "It's hard to remember anything at all, and what happened to you is a lot worse than a concussion."

"Is that how you really feel?" Sam asked, and saw confusion on his brother's face. "I mean, it's not exactly a very Winchester thing, right? Not remembering and –"

"Hold it." Dean's voice was firm, but also tender. "You got nothing to prove to me, you hear me?"

Sam looked away, afraid the tears would start again.

"I mean it, Sam. Bobby told me what the demon said before it got smoked. You took a hell of a beating from a _vampire_. Then you got a boot to the head from a _demon_. Sammy," Dean's voice cracked. "I didn't think you were going to make it, so seeing you here now….even in this wheelchair….being able to talk to you, and have you able to talk back. Sam…."

Sam laughed, and Dean looked at him confused. "And here I thought you hated it when I talked back to you."

Dean smiled. "Bitch."

"Jerk."

oooOOOooo

The emotional outbursts from Sam became more frequent over the next few days, but generally only when he and Dean were alone. Sam liked Kristine and Ellen, but he felt safest with his brother. And, when he still couldn't walk a week later, Michael and the neurologist decided another MRI was in order. The estate owned a van, and once the appointment had been set up, Sam was loaded in and Dean drove him to Asheville.

Kristine had early appointments at the clinic, but was finished in time to sit with Dean while the scan was being conducted. "You okay?" she asked, taking his hand.

"I'm not the one having an MRI done." Kristine didn't say anything, and Dean looked at her. "He's been really angry the last few days."

"That isn't surprising."

"I know, but…." Dean stood up and took a few steps across the room, glad he and Kristine were alone. "I don't know what to say to him any more. Not when he's like that."

"I don't think it matters what you say," Kristine said. "Or if you say anything at all. And he's going to take it out on you more than anyone else because he trusts you the most. You know he doesn't blame you for anything, right?"

"Maybe he should."

Dean's response didn't surprise Kristine. For better or worse, he felt responsible for Sam, and he always would. She joined him across the room, slipping her arms around him. "He doesn't blame you because what happened wasn't your fault. He just needs someone to lash out at."

"I don't care if he yells at me. If that's what he needs to do to feel better, fine. But I just feel so powerless to do anything for him."

Kristine pulled away and looked into Dean's eyes. "Are you kidding me? You help him just by being in the room with him. You don't have to do anything special, Dean. Surely you know that by now."

Dean looked at Kristine. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, and when she took his hand, he didn't pull away. A moment later, Dean cleared his throat. "You know, this is the first time Sam's been away from the estate….I wonder if I can get him to make a stop, or –"

"Dean? Kristine?" They looked toward Michael as he walked into the waiting room. "Dr. Leland is ready for us."

-----

"That's not such bad news, huh?" Dean said once the neurologist had explained the rest results.

"I still can't walk." Sam sounded defeated.

"Yeah, but…."

Sam wheeled his chair toward the open door. "Can we just go?"

Dean glanced at Kristine as he stood up. She nodded. "I'll see you at home." He kissed her lightly before following Sam. He didn't try to take control of the chair, or start a conversation. He followed Sam to the elevator, then through the hospital lobby and into the parking lot.

"Sam," Dean finally called. He'd been walking a few steps behind Sam, but quickly caught up. He resisted grabbing the wheelchair to make him stop moving. "Come on, dude, talk to me."

"It's the same old story," Sam said.

"The doctor said he couldn't see any reason why you aren't walking," Dean said, paraphrasing what the neurologist had taken half an hour to explain. "To me, that means it's not a permanent condition."

Sam suddenly stopped the chair, his head hanging low. Dean wheeled him to the side of the parking lot, making sure they were out of the flow of traffic before crouching down in front of him. "Look, man, I know you're frustrated, but –"

"You don't know, Dean. I know you mean well, but you have no idea how I feel."

"You're right, I don't. Not really. But, Sam, what the doctor said…."

"You don't get it," Sam said with a sad shake of his head. "What he said doesn't make it any better. It makes it worse."

"You're right. I don't get it."

"My thinking is clear most of the time. I can make my hands do what I want them to…my arms. Everything but my legs. And the doctor says there's no reason for it. So, if there's no reason…."

"If there's no reason," Dean said, looking at Sam's face. "then you'll make it happen. Come on, Sam. I can't let you give up."

"I'm not giving up," Sam said quietly. "I'm just…." He looked away with a shake of his head.

"Just what?"

"Look, I want you to promise me something."

"Don't make me do that again," Dean said.

"I'm not going to ask you to kill me this time," Sam told him. "I…I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, you won't feel compelled to stay with me."

"What are you talking about?"

"If I can't walk, I can't hunt. And I don't want you to feel like you have to –"

"Hold it," Dean said. "It's way too early to be talking like that."

"But –"

"I'm not going to listen to this, okay? Not yet. Besides, I'm not going to abandon you."

Sam looked at him, then nodded. "Can we go?"

"Let me throw something out at you first."

"Oh god."

Dean saw his eyes roll and smiled. "You haven't been out since we got to the estate. Why don't we go somewhere for dinner? We'll call Ellen, have her bring the boys. The Raines will be here in a couple of days, and –"

"I don't know…."

"Come on, Sam. We're already out, and you could use a little fun. Me, too."

After a moment, Sam nodded. "Okay."

Dean patted Sam's leg, and stood up. "Great!"

-----

The group decided on a pizza restaurant in Black Mountain, and for a while it seemed as if Sam was enjoying himself. He joked with Nicholas and Alex, he ate pizza, and he drank half a beer. Dean was surprised when he saw his brother's expression suddenly change after Alex and Nicholas left the table to play video games. Dean caught Kristine's eye and she understood his message. A moment later, she and Ellen excused themselves using the excuse of going to the ladies' room. Only Bobby and the Winchesters remained, but the older hunter found a reason to leave the table, too.

"How'd you manage that?" Sam asked with a sad smile.

"Manage what?" Dean asked nonchalantly, before swallowing the last of his beer.

"Can we leave?"

"What's wrong? You were just laughing."

"Please, Dean," Sam whispered. "I'm really tired, and –"

Dean suddenly felt very protective. "Yeah, sure. I'll just go tell Bobby…."

"Thank you."

Dean put a hand on Sam's wrist briefly, then he stood up. "I'll be right back." He walked in the direction he'd seen Bobby go, but ran into Kristine first. "I'm gonna take Sam back to the estate."

"Is he all right?"

"I don't know. He just said he wanted to leave, so –"

"Why don't you let me take him?"

"What?" Dean didn't like that idea at all.

"Let me do it. If Sam's okay with it."

Dean looked at her, feeling uncertain, but then he nodded. "Okay. If it's all right with Sam."

"I'll talk to him."

Again, Dean was uncertain, but Kristine smiled reassuringly. "Trust me."

Dean sighed. "Okay." He watched as Kristine sat down at their table, then he walked a few steps closer in case Sam needed him.

-----

Sam was reluctant to leave with Kristine at first, but then he realized it was the perfect opportunity to talk to her. He knew Dean meant well, and he appreciated his concern, but sometimes he felt almost smothered by his brother's presence. Dean did his best not to hover, but he was always _there_. Even when Sam was alone, he felt his brother's presence. Normally that was comforting, but not lately.

He was quiet as Kristine drove the van toward the estate, and he appreciated that she didn't push him to talk. He was also happy that she seemed perfectly willing to let him fend for himself with the chair and getting to his room. The nurse came to help him do what he couldn't do for himself, and made sure he had what he needed for the night. Kristine knocked on the door a few minutes after the nurse had left him.

"I just wanted to make sure you got settled okay."

Sam was in bed even though it wasn't very late. He'd regained a lot of his stamina, but nonetheless, he still tired easily and he figured he'd be asleep early.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Sam asked.

"Of course," Kristine sat in the chair Dean had spent so much time in.

"I haven't thanked you for everything you've done," he said, suddenly feeling insecure.

"You don't have to thank me."

"Still…." He glanced at her, then busied himself by smoothing the already perfectly smooth sheet. "I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

He glanced at her again. The first time he'd met Kristine, Sam had been in a vulnerable position. It was right after Jessica's death, and he had been dragged back into the world of hunting. Dean brought him to the estate due to his nightmares and panic attacks, hoping Kristine could help. She had already seen him at his worst, but Sam was still reticent to bring up what he really wanted to talk to her about.

"What is it, Sam?" Kristine asked gently.

"I….a lot of things, really," Sam began. "But I want to talk to you about Dean."

"What about him?"

"I tried to talk to him about his, but he wouldn't listen. He said it was too early, and maybe it is but….I need to convince him that he doesn't have to stay with me if….if I can never get my legs to work again."

He saw the flash of surprise on Kristine's face, but she quickly recovered. "It does seem a little early to talk about that, especially after the results of today's MRI."

"I'm just trying to have a Plan B."

"Options are good," Kristine agreed. "But you know as well as I do that Dean will do what he wants to do."

"If I wasn't laid up, he'd be out there hunting down that vampire."

"If you weren't laid up, he wouldn't have a reason to be hunting down that specific vampire."

"He'd be hunting, though."

Kristine seemed about to respond, but then she closed her mouth and sat back in the chair. "You want him to just leave you here?"

"Yes. No," Sam was frustrated, but he took a deep breath and a moment to consider his answer. "No. Not now. But I want him to start thinking about it."

"Sam, you know better than anyone that Dean does what he wants to do. And you also know that if anyone has any hope of changing his mind, it's you. But he's not going to leave you alone."

"I guess." Sam looked away from Kristine's stare.

"What's this really about?"

"What?"

"You didn't want to talk to me about Dean, did you?"

"I….Sort of." Sam felt Kristine's hand on his, and he looked back to her face.

"Just talk to me, Sam."

Her voice was kind, her expression full of concern, and Sam suddenly felt very emotional. That was happening a lot lately, though usually more with anger than anything else. He blinked a few times, but quickly gave up trying to get rid of the tears.

"I lied to him."

"About what?" Kristine looked confused.

"He asked me what happened at the house, with the vampire, and I lied to him. I told him I didn't remember."

"And you do remember?"

"I knew the demon was there. Not at first," Sam felt cold, and he couldn't make himself look at Kristine. "Dean and I split up, and I ran into the vampire. He was fast, and got the upper hand before I could use the dead man's blood. I saw someone else come into the room while we were fighting, and I….Well, I can usually spot a demon pretty easily now. I was up, fighting, trying to get to the knife with the dead man's blood on it. Somehow it had been knocked out of my hand…."

Sam laid his head back against the pillow; he felt so tired. But he had to go finish the story. He became aware of her hand still on his, and he caressed it with his thumb for a moment.

"What happened with the demon?" Kristine prompted him quietly.

"I was on the floor, the vampire was kicking me, and I knew I was in trouble. I was yelling for Dean….I saw the demon coming toward me, and I tried to exorcise it. I promised Dean over and over that I wouldn't use my power any more, but that was my first instinct. Not that it worked." Sam was afraid to look at Kristine. He didn't want to see the disappointment on her face. After a moment, Sam felt the squeeze of Kristine's hand, and he slowly turned his head after she spoke his name.

"I don't know what the right thing is when it comes to your abilities," she said quietly. "I see Dean's side of it, and he's said the angels don't want you to use it, but….But I see your side of it, too. You're getting rid of demons and most often, the victim survives. That aside, Sam, you know what secrets do to a relationship. Isn't that, at least in part, why you spent so much time being mad at your father?"

Sam nodded, still not looking at Kristine.

"You need to talk to your brother about this."

He nodded again. "I know."

"Sam…." The tone of Kristine's voice finally forced Sam to look at her again. She seemed uncomfortable, but she squeezed his hand again and continued. "There might be actually be a reason you're not walking yet."

"What?"

"It could be a psychosomatic reaction – a physical reaction to the guilt you're feeling. And that might also be why you were trying to convince Dean to leave."

"I thought about that."

"I figured you had," Kristine said with a smile.

"I have to talk to Dean, huh?"

"I'm not going to tell you that you _have_ to talk to him, but I think you _want_ to talk to him. And I bet you'll feel better once you have."

"Would you do me a favor?"

"Anything," Kristine said, and Sam knew she meant it.

"Don't tell Dean about our conversation."

"I won't," Kristine assured him with a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**Stars Shine in the Dark**

**Chapter 5**

oooOOOooo

_To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest_

_Unknown_

oooOOOooo

"Kyle's got a good lead on the vampire," Bobby said as he joined Sam and Dean at poolside. Sam had finished a physical therapy session in the pool a few minutes before, and when he was done, the kids insisted it was their turn.

Several days had passed since his conversation with Kristine, but Sam still hadn't been able to tell Dean what really happened with the demon and vampire. He'd been working hard, though, could now reliably move his legs while lying down. He'd also managed to stand and take a few faltering steps with the help of a set of parallel bars.

"How good?" Dean asked after a glance at Sam.

"Friend of Kyle's saw him last night."

"I'd say that's pretty good," Dean said. "Where?"

"Memphis. He's been feeding in nearby towns, and it looks like the witch is still with him."

"Memphis? That's only 7 or 8 hours from here."

Bobby nodded. "He's on his way and should be there tonight. I'd told him I'd meet him there."

"I'm going, too."

"Thought you might. How soon can you be ready?"

"Ten minutes," Dean said with a reluctant glance toward the pool.

"How about half an hour?" Bobby suggested.

"Yeah. Sounds good." Dean watched Bobby walk away, then looked at Sam. His expression was neutral, but Dean could see behind it. "You okay with this?"

"I'd be more okay if I could go."

Dean leaned forward. "I'm sorry, Sam, but it's just too dangerous….The chair --"

Sam nodded, staring into the distance. "I know."

"Look, uh, I'm gonna go talk to the boys. Why don't you hang out with me while I pack?"

Sam nodded again. "I'll meet you there."

-----

Sam wheeled himself to his room. He knew that Dean was spending time with Kristine once everyone else was asleep, but every morning when Sam woke up, his brother was asleep across the room from him. He looked at the bed that would be empty tomorrow and felt more regret than he thought he would.

Sam maneuvered to the closet and pulled out Dean's duffel bag. A lot of his stuff was still in it, but he was also using the bureau that had been moved into the room. Sam grabbed a few t-shirts and pairs of jeans, tossing them onto the bed.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked when he came into the room a few minutes later.

"Helping," Sam said as he rolled up the last pair of jeans and stuffed them into the bag.

"Thanks. You–"

"I need to talk to you before you go," Sam said quickly as he turned the chair around to face Dean. "I should have told you this before, but I didn't. You can be pissed at me if you want, but it won't change anything."

"What are you talking about?"

Sam had to struggle against changing his mind, and knew the only way to get it out was to say it. "I lied to you. I know what happened at the house." Sam told the same story he'd told Kristine, but he spoke quickly, trying not to see the disappointment on his brother's face. "I know I promised, Dean, but –"

"Your life was in danger," Dean said, his voice sounding hollow. "I guess I can't fault you for using your power, but why did you lie?"

"I didn't want to disappoint you." That was the truth, at least part of it, but Sam hadn't known he was going to use those words. He looked at Dean, feeling somewhat desperate.

"Sam…." Dean sat down on the small couch. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"I should have told you before, I know, but I just couldn't. And now….You're leaving to go after the vampire. I – I just didn't want that lie between us." Sam saw several emotions pass over Dean's face. "I'm sorry I lied to you."

Dean looked at him, then after a moment, he nodded. "It's okay. Just….Sam, you don't have to worry about disappointing me, okay? I'll always have your back."

Sam felt his tears, but he ignored them. He appreciated that Dean would always be there, but he wished Dean could say he'd never be disappointed. He decided not pursue it. "I don't like you going off without me, but I get it."

-----

After Dean and Bobby were gone, Millie fed Nicholas and Alex, but a couple of hours later they were back in the pool. Sam sat outside keeping an eye on them while he tried to focus on a book he'd gotten from the estate library.

"Hey, guys," Kristine called as she came toward the pool.

The boys yelled from the water, and she sat down near Sam. "Have you heard from Dean yet?"

"I don't think he'll call until they get to Memphis."

"I imagine you don't like being here while Dean's on a hunt."

Sam closed the book and set it on the nearby table. "It is what it is."

Kristine glanced at the pool. "I think I'm gonna change, then come back out and play."

Sam watched as she walked away, and considered calling out an apology. He'd already decided against it when he heard Nicholas screaming from the pool. He seemed to be floundering, and Alex was swimming toward him, yelling his name. Without hesitating, Sam jumped out of the chair and ran toward the water. He dived in, close to Nicholas, and dragged him to poolside.

Nicholas was nearly hysterical, crying as he sat on the cement and holding on to Sam's neck. Alex tried to calm him, but Nicholas didn't seem to hear. Sam saw that Kristine rushed outside, followed by Millie and Ellen, but he didn't see their surprise mixed with fear and concern as he comforted Nicholas.

"You have to help Dean!" Nicholas finally managed to say.

"Why? What's wrong?" Sam asked, trying not to panic.

"I saw it!"

"Calm down, Nicholas," Sam soothed. He wasn't as good with the boys as Dean was, and he was feeling very inadequate. "It's okay. I can't do anything until I know what's going on. Can you tell me what you saw?"

Nicholas took a few heaving breaths, and Sam saw Alex rubbing his brother's back. "I saw a lady with a gun. She shot Dean, then the vampire came and got him on the neck."

Sam felt cold. "You're sure? Did you see Bobby?"

"Uh-huh," Nicholas said with a shake of his head.

"Okay," Sam said as Kristine sat down next to Nicholas. He asked a few more questions, trying to get more detail. When it was clear he had learned all he would, Sam smiled at the little boy. "Thank you, Nicholas. Will you go with Kristine now?"

"You have to help Dean!" the little boy insisted.

"I know, and I will. Just stay with Kristine."

Nicholas nodded, and Kristine hefted him onto her lap. Without thinking, Sam pushed himself out of the pool. He was having no trouble making his legs work.

"Sam!" Alex called. "You're walking!"

Sam didn't respond, and he didn't stop moving because he was afraid if he did, he'd never start again.

-----

Sam was pacing in his room with his cell phone to his ear when Kristine found him. Before she could say anything, he dropped the phone on his bed, and started throwing some clothes into the duffle bag she hadn't seen sitting on the couch.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Dean isn't answering his phone. Neither is Bobby," Sam zipped the bag closed. "Can I borrow a car?"

"Sam, I –"

"You heard Nicholas. I left messages for him and Bobby, but –"

"Ten minutes ago you were in a wheelchair. I can't let you go off –"

"I'm fine," Sam insisted.

"Sam, you –"

"Nicholas told me days ago that I was okay. He agreed with you about it being all in my head. That's not exactly what he said, but….We've always trusted Nicholas' premonitions. This time shouldn't be any different."

Kristine looked at him, uncertainty swelling up inside her. "But –"

"One way or another, I'm going to Memphis," Sam said firmly.

Kristine saw the determination on his face, and she knew she didn't have a choice. Reluctantly, she nodded. "All right, but I'm going with you."

"No way," Sam shook his head.

"I can be every bit as stubborn as you," she said, staring at him.

"What about the boys?"

"Ellen and Millie are here."

Sam didn't want Kristine to go, but he didn't see a way around it. He knew she wouldn't give him the keys until she was ready to leave, but….He nodded. "I'll be at the car."

Kristine headed toward the door, calling over her shoulder. "You hotwire my car and I'll kick your ass."

-----

Sam didn't hotwire Kristine's car, but he was a mile down the road in the van before his cell phone rang. He didn't have to look at the caller ID display to know it was Kristine, and he when he answered it, he heard her angry voice on the other end. "I can't believe you!"

"It's better that you're not with me," Sam said.

"I can report that van stolen, you know."

"I can't stop you if that's what you want to do.'

"Damnit, Sam! You know that's not what I want to do. What if I get in my car and follow you?"

"I can't stop you from doing that, either."

"Stop being so reasonable!"

"Let me handle this," Sam said. "Please?"

"I don't know, Sam. What if your legs stop working again?"

"They won't."

"How do you know that?"

"I just know. Please, Kristine."

"I'd better not regret this," she muttered.

oooOOOooo

"You're sure that's where he's been staying?" Dean asked as he, Bobby and Kyle looked at a small house from the Impala.

"Yep. I assume he's already out and about for the evening, but I don't know that for sure."

"Any idea where he usually hangs out?"

"He's been seen in a couple places along with the witch."

Dean nodded thoughtfully. "We could try to find him tonight, or just wait for him to come back here."

"It would be dangerous to go after him tonight," Bobby pointed out.

"Yeah, damnit." Dean agreed with a sigh. He and Bobby had gotten into town a couple hours before, but it had taken Kyle a little longer to get there than he'd anticipated. His contact, the man who had seen Emerson and Joanne in town, had had to leave to handle an emergency, and it had taken Kyle a while to get in touch with him to get the pertinent information.

He and Bobby had been in and out of coverage areas for hours, but Dean had managed a call Sam's phone, leaving a message when he got voicemail.

"Let's grab some food, see if we can get a little sleep," Bobby suggested. "Well hit him in the morning when we're fresh."

"And he's not," Dean said. "Yeah. And I wanna see if I can get in touch with…." He hesitated when his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID display, then flipped the phone open. "Speak of the devil. Hey, Darlin'."

"Have you heard from Sam?" Kristine demanded.

"What? No, what's wrong?" Dean listened as Kristine quickly explained everything that had happened. He couldn't have gotten a word in, even if he'd tried, so waited until she stopped speaking. "I can't believe this! He's not answering your calls?"

"I keep getting his voicemail."

"There's spotty coverage around here," Dean said, trying to calm Kristine as much as himself. "Look, tell me again what Nicholas saw. Everything. Actually, let me talk to him."

"Aw, hell," Bobby muttered, causing Dean to look at him.

"Yeah, Nicholas saw something," Dean said. "And get this – Sam can walk."

"What?"

Dean heard the amazement in his friend's voice. "Not only that, he stole a van from the estate and is headed our way. He's about three hours behind us."

"Holy hell."

"Not in my experience," Dean said under his breath. He turned his attention back to the phone when he heard Nicholas' voice.

-----

"I don't think this is a great idea," Bobby said as Dean pulled into a spot Kyle's motel room. "Let me go with you."

"Look, I'm just gonna backtrack a little, and see if I can find Sam. He's still not answering his phone, and –"

"I know all that, boy," Bobby said. "I been sitting in the car next to you for a while."

"Bobby….look, I'll be fine, okay? But at least one of us is going to have to be awake enough tomorrow to go after that vamp."

"Yeah, like I'm gonna get any sleep with you gallivanting around…."

"Bobby, please." Dean looked at his friend, silently pleading.

"Fine," Bobby grunted. "And I suppose I can't talk you into taking Kyle with you either, huh?"

"We're wasting time."

A few minutes later, Bobby and Kyle were out of the car, watching Dean drive away. As he headed toward the highway, Dean dialed Sam's number again, but growled in frustration when he got voicemail again.

"Sam, damnit, you'd better not be hurt on the side of the road. I swear if you….Look, I'm on the road and I'm coming toward you. Call me when you get this." Dean slipped the phone back into his pocket and continued to drive. He kept an eye on the other side of the highway, hoping for some sign of his brother.

-----

Sam was irritated by the lack of cell phone coverage. It wasn't like he was in the middle of nowhere, after all. He couldn't get in touch with Dean or Kristine, but he hoped they'd at least been able to make contact. He glanced at the van's dashboard, and saw he was low on gas, so he took the next exit and pulled into a gas station.

As the gas tank filled, Sam leaned against the van and looked around. It was dark, and he hoped Dean and the others had decided to wait until morning to go after the vampire. From the corner of his eye, he saw a pay phone near the door of the gas station's market. He found some coins in the ash tray of the van, and walked across the lot.

Sam stood with his back toward the building as he listened to Dean's cell phone ring. He thought it was going to go to voicemail like the others, when he heard is brother's voice. The connection was bad, though, and there was a lot of static on the line.

"Dean, it's me," Sam said, enunciating more than usual to compensate for all the noise. "Can you hear me?"

"Where the hell are you?" came Dean's angry reply.

"I'm at a gas station…" Sam had to pull the phone away from his ear hearing a piercing whistle. Once the noise ended, he called Dean's name, but heard only static in response. Sam was immediately apprehensive. Suddenly he was sure the problem with phone reception was more than a simple coverage issue. "Dean? Dean, can you hear me?"

He heard his brother's voice through the crackling on the line, but not clearly enough to understand what he was saying.

-----

Dean could barely make out Sam's voice through the interference on the line, but was almost positive he'd said an exit number. Dean wasn't far from the same exit, and figured it wouldn't hurt to check it out.

When he reached the end of the exit, Dean looked around; there was a gas station to the left and a diner to the right. He decided to try the diner first.

The parking lot was full, but fairly small. Dean drove through it without seeing the van, and had just pulled back onto the road when the Impala stalled. He managed to maneuver it to the narrow shoulder.

"What the hell?" Dean tried to start the car, but the engine only sputtered. The car was in perfect working order, and Dean suspected there was something supernatural involved. After slipping a handgun into the waistband of his pants, Dean opened the hood nonetheless. He checked the obvious things quickly, but found no problems.

He looked toward the gas station, and even though he didn't think it would do any good, he tried to call Sam. He wasn't surprised to get voicemail. Taking a shotgun from the trunk, and concealing it as best he could, Dean took off on foot.

-----

The road was empty of cars, and things were very quiet. Sam was almost positive he'd heard the familiar growl of the Impala not long ago, even over the light rain that had begun to fall, but hadn't seen anything. He walked to the edge of the gas station property, looking toward the diner on the other side of the exit. It appeared busy, but was too far away to see any detail of the cars in the lot.

Sam knew the chances were slim that Dean had heard him say where he was, but he couldn't shake the feeling that his brother was nearby. He went back to the van, intending to get back on the road, but instead he only moved it away from the pumps. He tried to call Dean again, but was irritated to find he had no service.

Sam tapped on the steering wheel as he tried to decide what to do. He was nervous unable to stop thinking about what Nicholas had told him. He assumed the woman in the premonition was the witch, and even though Nicholas had seen the events take place in a house, that didn't mean the details couldn't change. Sometimes he misinterpreted what he'd seen, and sometimes the end result was the same even though events leading up to it might change.

Not able to sit still in the van, Sam stepped out onto the pavement. He couldn't shake the feeling that Dean was close, and he walked to the edge of the parking lot again. "Dean," he muttered quietly when he saw the Impala coming toward him. It wasn't long before he saw the car pull off the road, and watched as Dean got out and opened the hood. "No…."

He'd taken off on foot, then remembered the van. The Impala wasn't that far away, but even driving fast, Sam couldn't reach his brother before the silver sedan did. He yelled as Dean was pulled into the car, despite his struggle. Sam punched the gas pedal to the floor, aiming for the sedan. It didn't occur to him that the Impala would no doubt also be damaged by a collision, but he wouldn't have cared even if he'd thought about it. All that mattered was getting to Dean.

The sedan had started to move in the opposite direction, and the van was no match for the horsepower of the Infiniti. The sedan, and his brother with it, was gone leaving Sam angry and afraid.

Sam tried to follow the other car, but once he realized it was headed for the freeway, he knew he was out of luck. He followed it for as long as he could, but there was no way he could keep up, and quickly lost sight of it.

oooOOOooo

"I don't like this," Bobby grumbled dropping his useless phone onto the bed. "I don't know why I let that idjit go off on his own."

"I have a car," Kyle reminded him. "We know more or less where he was headed."

Bobby considered it for only a moment. "Let's go."

They were on the highway quickly, and it didn't take long to leave the city behind. Kyle drove quickly in the rain, and both men kept their eyes peeled for the van or the Impala. Bobby was worried, but he split his time between that and mentally kicking himself for splitting up. He'd known it was a stupid idea with the spotty cell phone coverage, but he'd let Dean talk him out of what he'd known was right.

-----

Sam stopped at a strip mall, looking for a pay phone. He saw one, and ran through the increasingly hard rain, immediately dialing Kristine's cell phone number. He had considered trying the house phone, but he knew that calls were often allowed to go to voicemail if none of the small staff had time to deal with them. He was afraid Kristine's phone would be under the control of whatever was going on, and was almost shocked to hear her voice.

"Kristine, it's Sam. I'm calling from a pay phone. Have you heard from Dean or Bobby?"

"I talked to Dean right after you left."

"Have you tried since then?"

"No, why?"

Sam quickly told her about the cell phone situation and his suspicions, but he didn't mention having seen Dean dragged off. "Can you try to call Bobby? If you get through, tell him I'm at a strip mall on Barkley right off of I-240. I'll call you back in a few minutes to see if you got through."

Kristine agreed, and Sam was grateful that she didn't question his request to call Bobby and not Dean. He paced near the phone for five minutes, hoping he'd given her enough time. She answered quickly, confirming that she'd gotten in touch with Bobby.

Again, she didn't ask about Dean, and Sam had the feeling that she knew something had happened. He wanted to tell her not to worry, but he knew she would anyway.

"Bobby said his best guess is that they're maybe 15-20 minutes out," Kristine said. "Are you doing okay?"

"Are my legs still working you mean? Yeah." Sam hoped he hadn't come across sounding angry because that hadn't been his intention at all. "Look, Kristine, I'm sorry. I—"

"Sorry for what?"

"I…I thought I might have sounded pissed."

"Oh. No, you didn't. Look, just take care of yourself, okay? Remember where you were just a few hours ago."

-----

Bobby knew that Sam was walking, but seeing him out of that wheelchair brought tears to his eyes. He blinked them away quickly as Kyle pulled up to the curb where Sam was standing.

"Get in," Bobby said through the open window. "You happen to run into your brother?"

Sam explained what he'd seen, and saw the look that passed between Bobby and Kyle. "What?"

"It was probably the vampire and the witch," Bobby said as Kyle steered toward the road. "We know where they've been staying. We were gonna hit it in the morning, but…."

"If it was them, they probably took Dean somewhere familiar," Sam agreed.

Bobby turned partially in the seat, and looked at Sam. "Good to see you on your feet, boy."

"Thanks," Sam said quietly.

"This is Kyle, by the way. He's been helping with this for a while."

"Thanks for everything you've done, Kyle."

"Thank me when it's done," Kyle said softly.

It took almost half an hour to get to the house where the vampire and witch had been staying, but it seemed like an eternity to Sam. He knew that Dean might already be dead, but he refused to think about that. If they'd intended to kill him, the vampire could have done it on the deserted roadside. Sam suspected that they might actually be using him as bait to get the rest of the hunters to the house, and he assumed Bobby and Kyle thought the same thing. They couldn't leave Dean alone with them, though. No matter what, sooner or later there would be a confrontation.

"We have a plan?" Kyle asked when he pulled up next to the curb near the house. The Infiniti was parked in the driveway.

"Nope," Bobby said.

"It's almost dawn."

"We can't wait for dawn," Sam said.

"Yeah," Kyle sighed. "I've got dead man's blood in the trunk. It's been on ice for a few hours, but should still be fresh enough. Got a stash of silver bullets, guns. Enough for a suicide mission."

"You don't have to do this," Sam pointed out, keeping his voice neutral.

"Let's go." Kyle opened his door.

It didn't take them long to arm themselves with anything that might be useful.

"There's a light on in the living room," Kyle said. "Looks like the curtains are kinda thin. I'll go check it out."

He didn't wait for a response from the others before he started skulking toward the house. Sam watched anxiously as Kyle did the reconnaissance. He bolted forward when Kyle headed back toward them. "I didn't see Dean, but I saw the witch. She's in the living room, and it looks like she's putting some kind of spell together. The vampire might already be sleeping somewhere."

Sam looked eastward, and shook his head. "Maybe, but I doubt it. We've still got a good half hour until the sun's up. Remember they don't _have _to sleep in the daytime, they just prefer it."

Kyle nodded. "So, two in the front and one in the back?"

"Yeah," Sam agreed. Bobby nodded at him when he glanced over. "I'll take the front."

"I'll go with you," Bobby said. He looked at Kyle. "You've got the back. Go in quiet."

"Story of my life," Kyle muttered, and they moved toward the house.

Sam paused to look into the living room window. The witch was still in there, and she seemed to be assembling hex bags. "On three," he whispered to Bobby when he got up on the porch. He quietly counted, and when he got to three, Sam kicked open the front door. The frame splintered as the door flew open, and in only seconds he and Bobby were inside with shotguns pointed at the witch.

She turned around to face them, seeming unconcerned.

"Where's my brother?" Sam demanded, taking a step closer and aiming the gun at her face.

Joanne didn't answer, and Sam called out Dean's name. He got no answer, and a cold ball formed in his stomach. He saw Kyle slip behind Joanne and head down the hallway.

"Who are the hex bags for?"

"A girl's gotta make a living," she smiled.

"And your vampire friend? Where's he?"

"You're so full of questions."

"And you'd better start answering them."

Sam remained facing the woman even though heard a loud crash from somewhere behind him. He glanced at Bobby. "I got this."

Bobby turned away, and a moment later, Sam was knocked off balance. He stumbled, but managed to stay upright. When he looked around, he saw Bobby lying on the floor. With only a brief hesitation, Sam rushed forward and knocked the butt of the gun against the witch's head. She crumpled to the floor, and Sam paused only for a moment to check Bobby's pulse. He felt it was strong and steady, then headed down the hall behind him.

He saw Kyle on the floor, and paused. He was awake, but obviously groggy.

"Go," Kyle croaked. "Dean's in there." He struggled to point at a room only a few feet away. "Vampire."

Sam understood him, and carefully walked toward the open door. He was expecting the worst, but seeing the vampire leaning over his brother still stunned him. It took only a second for him to recover, and he fired a shot into the vampire's back. Emerson stood up, and Sam fired again. The bullets were silver, and Sam knew they'd only be a deterrent. They wouldn't completely stop the creature, but he had something that would.

In a single moment, he pulled a knife from its sheath and rushed forward. It was difficult to throw a knife and have it go blade-first, into the target, but he knew he wouldn't miss up close. While the vampire was still stunned, Sam plunged the blade that had been dipped in dead man's blood into his chest. The vampire cried out, and Sam pushed the knife deeper until the long blade had all but disappeared.

The dead man's blood was like poison to vampire, and it was fairly quick-acting. As the monster fell to the floor, Sam looked at his brother. He saw the blood on his neck, and when he was closer, he saw the puncture wounds.

"No," Sam whispered through his tears. "Dean? Dean, can you hear me?"

Sam pulled at the ropes that held his brother to the bed. He barely noticed as Kyle slowly came up behind him, but said. "Bobby might need help. And I only knocked the witch out."

"Do you –"

"Go help Bobby!" Sam said. He used the bed sheet to wipe some of the blood away from Dean's neck, and examined him more closely. In addition to the bite marks on his neck, there were some on his arms. It looked like the vampire had fed on him more than once.

"Dean…." Sam wavered only a moment before rushing into the bathroom. He returned with wet wash cloths and towels. Once he had wiped most of the blood away from the wounds, Sam could see they weren't bleeding much at all. He pressed a towel to his brother's neck, where the bleeding was most prevalent, calling his name.

"Sam…." Dean's voice was strained.

"I'm right here."

Dean's eyes slowly opened, and he immediately tried to sit up. Sam held him down gently. "Hold on, take it slow. Do you know what happened?"

Dean's hand moved to his neck, and his eyes widened at the blood on his arm.

"It's okay," Sam soothed as he set about wiping the blood away. "Did you…?"

"No," Dean said, hardly above a whisper.

"You're sure? He didn't try to turn you?"

"I'm sure."

Bobby was in the room a few moments later, with Kyle right behind him.

"Where's the witch?" Sam asked, as he continued to clean his brother's wounds.

"Still out," Bobby said. "How hard did you hit her?"

"If she's still breathing, not hard enough."

Dean put a hand around Sam's wrist, forcing him to stop his machinations. "I'm okay."

"Some of the wounds are still bleeding."

Dean squeezed Sam's arm; Sam looked at his face. "I'm okay."

Sam stared into his eyes for a moment, then nodded and helped him to sit up. The vampire groaned before turning onto his side, and Sam didn't skip a beat. He slipped the bone cleaver from the bad he'd slung over his back outside, and held it to the vampire's throat.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance," Sam said in a dangerous whisper. Worried about his brother, and with adrenaline still coursing through him, it was an easy task to decapitate the vampire. His anger still not dispelled, and as the others watched in horrified fascination that he didn't notice, Sam kicked the vampire's head across the room. "And you should have stayed away from my brother."

Sam stared at the body and felt a hand on his back. When he looked to his side, he saw Dean next to him. He appeared weak and about ready to pass out. Sam put an arm around his shoulders. "Time to get you out of here."

"We're not far from the motel," Kyle said. "Take my car, and I'll clean this up."

"I'll help," Bobby said.

"You okay?" Sam asked with a concerned look at his friend.

"Just a little headache," Bobby assured him. "Get your brother out of here."

Kyle held out the keys. "We'll take the sedan when we're done here. There's a first aid kit in the trunk of my car. Use what you need."

Sam took the keys and nodded. "Thank you.'

oooOOOooo

While Dean showered, Sam looked through the first aid kit he'd retrieved from Kyle's car. It just had the basics, but that's all Sam needed. He figured Dean had lost quite a bit of blood, but he'd already seemed stronger by the time they got to the motel, so a hospital wasn't necessary.

Sam knew that Kristine would be waiting for a call, and he was relieved to find his cell phone in perfect working order. The conversation was short; Sam left out all the details except for Dean being in the shower, and Kristine seemed perfectly content just knowing that they were all okay.

Dean's clothes were still in the Impala, so he was forced to wear one of Sam's t-shirts, which was clearly too big for him. He wanted to retrieve his car, but Sam told him he'd talked to Bobby, who had agreed to bring it to the motel when they were done at the house.

Sam wanted to tend to Dean's more serious wounds, and the older man had no choice but to let him. They didn't speak while Sam worked, but there was really no need to.

"So, you're walking," Dean said once Sam had finished.

Sam looked down, feeling somewhat self-conscious, and then nodded. "Yeah."

"That's great, Sam, but I don't understand."

Sam shrugged, facing his brother again. "I don't either. Not really, anyway. Nicholas has been telling me for a while that I could walk, but I figured it was something he'd seen in a dream. I thought he meant I'd walk again, not that I could already."

"Kristine told me a little bit when she called. She's pissed at you, by the way."

Sam chuckled. "I know. I called her while you were in the shower to let her know you were okay. I had to call her before to see if she could get in touch with Bobby for me. I didn't get into specifics, and she didn't ask, but…."

"I'll call her," Dean nodded. "So, Nicholas was in the pool, and just freaked out?"

"Yeah. I was in the wheelchair, reading and keeping an eye on the kids, and at first I thought he was drowning. I didn't even think about it, man, I was up and in the pool without even realizing what I was doing."

Dean shook his head. "You had no idea you could walk? And the physical therapist…?"

"Kristine and I talked about it before. She thought it might be psychosomatic. I'd told her about what happened with the demon, that I remembered trying to use my power. She said not being able to walk could be a physical symptom of the guilt I felt."

"You felt guilty?" Dean asked quietly.

"For lying to you, yeah." Sam was afraid Dean was going to say something that would turn their discussion into an argument, but Dean only nodded. He reached for the bottle of water that Sam had gotten for him, and took a few sips.

"Are you hungry?" Sam asked. "You should probably eat something. I can go get us some burgers from the place down the street."

"I could eat," Dean said.

"I'll be right back."

"I don't know what happened to my phone," Dean said as Sam started for the door.

Sam grabbed his from the table near the window and tossed it toward him. "Any special requests?"

"You know what I like."

-----

When Sam pulled into the parking lot less than half an hour later, he saw the Impala parked near Kyle's room, and knew he and Bobby were back. He imagined Dean had already inspected it as best he could in the dark.

Sam opened the door and saw the three men were seated throughout the room. He'd gotten enough for everyone, and they were happy to have some food. Sam noticed Dean looked almost back to his normal self, the most notable exception being the large bandage on his neck.

"We took the vampire's body out to the woods," Bobby said when the conversation turned. "Burned it and scattered the ashes in a lake."

"And the witch?" Sam asked.

Bobby cleared his throat, suddenly seeming uncomfortable. "We hadn't figured out what to do with her yet, and had her in the car while we took care of the vampire. She, uh, she threw herself on the pyre."

Sam saw Dean wince, but he felt nothing at hearing her fate. "So, it's over."

"Looks that way," Bobby agreed. "Figured we could head out in the morning, after a few hours of sleep."

Sam announced he'd rented a second room, and after a few more minutes of conversation, he and Dean headed for it. Sam hadn't mentioned that the only room left had just one queen bed, and he enjoyed Dean's expression when he saw it.

"Just stay on your own side," Dean warned when they got under the covers. "No spooning."

oooOOOooo

Kyle had a few things to take care of before leaving town, so Bobby drove the van while Sam and Dean rode together in the Impala. As it should be, Sam thought as he stared out of the passenger side window. He'd offered to drive, but Dean insisted he was fine, and had snagged the keys before Sam could protest.

Sam thought about a lot of things as they headed toward the estate. He still wondered where Ruby was, but what concerned him more was the idea that he'd been so guilt-ridden about lying to Dean that he hadn't been able to walk. He hadn't felt particularly guilty, but maybe if he had, it wouldn't have manifested physically. And he was still technically lying to Dean because he hadn't told him the whole truth about his powers and Ruby's role in his life.

"You're quiet," Dean said after a prolonged silence. "You okay?"

Sam turned to look at him. "Yeah, just thinking. It's been a weird few weeks."

"You're telling me."

"You remember anything about the vampire…."

"Having me for dinner?" Dean finished with a wry grin before shaking his head. "Some of it. Hell was worse, so don't worry about me."

Sam was quiet for a few moments. "So, what's the plan now? You want to get back to work, or…?

"I'd like to stay at least until the boys are back with the Raines. You okay with that?"

"Yeah, of course." Sam said honestly. "It's only a couple more days, though. You want to stick around longer?"

He saw Dean's glance. "You playing matchmaker again?"

"What if I am?"

Dean shrugged, saying nothing.

"To tell you the truth," Sam said after a moment. "I think I'd like some time off. You know, without being in a wheelchair."

"Then let's take some time off."

"Maybe after the boys have gone home….I was thinking I could go off somewhere for a few days to give you and Kristine some time alone."

"You know you don't have to do that."

"I know," Sam said quickly. He was serious about wanting Kristine and his brother to have some time to themselves, but he also thought it might do him some good to be on his own to think about things. He hadn't much liked being alone when Dean was in Hell, but that was something entirely different.

Dean suddenly laughed. "I don't think Kristine's gonna let you use one of the estate vehicles, though. You'll probably have to take the Impala."

Sam joined in the laughter, then asked. "You'd be okay with that?"

"Just don't douche her up."

Sam shot his brother a dirty look.

-----

Nicholas and Alex came out of the house at a run when Dean parked the Impala pulled. Almost before Sam and Dean were out of the car, the younger boys had thrown themselves at them. Kristine watched from the back porch, a little surprised to see the display of emotion from the usually stoic Alex.

She saw Dean's somewhat stiff movements, but overall he appeared okay. And seeing him get out of the driver's side of the car gave her a lot of comfort. Dean was stubborn, but if he'd never endanger his car unnecessarily, and Sam could be every bit as obstinate as his brother.

Sam seemed to be fine as he came toward the house with Nicholas at his side. Kristine had talked to Michael about the unexpected recovery, and he'd passed along the information to the neurologist. Neither had been particularly surprised that it had happened, though they hadn't expected something so dramatic.

It didn't look like Alex was more than inches away from Dean as they walked up the porch steps, and he stuck close when the group assembled around the large dining room table. Millie had set out a buffet, and was adding the final touches as everyone took their seats. Even though Kristine had been there for the preparation, the amount of food surprised her. She knew there were four hunters on the way, though, and it would no doubt all be consumed.

If anyone had been paying attention, they would have noticed the lack of communication between Dean and Kristine. She'd let the kids have first crack at him, and they weren't willing to let go. They were sitting on either side of him, with Nicholas between Dean and Sam. Kristine was sitting across the table, next to Bobby. She hadn't participated in the conversation, not that it was easy to get a word in with Nicholas dominating the room.

Sam sat back in his chair, feeling more full than he could remember. He normally ate just enough, but Millie's cooking was much better than any greasy diner. He'd also been caught up in the celebratory atmosphere. Now, he was tired, and just wanted to vegetate in front of his computer. He glanced across the table, and was drawn to Kristine's face. She was laughing at something Nicholas had said, but he couldn't help but notice the look in her eyes. He saw her look toward Dean, and though he wasn't sure, he didn't think he'd seen as much as a pat on the arm between them in the two hours since he and his brother arrived.

Things were obviously different when Sam and Dean were alone. They had a rhythm and worked well together. There was an unspoken communication, and things almost always ran smoothly. He was used to Dean's occasional reversion to an insensitive teenager, and Sam knew he had his own less than stellar moments.

He was happy to move aside when they visited the estate so that Dean could spend more time with Kristine. He liked the idea of Dean being happy; he knew how rare it was for his brother to be completely at ease. He also liked the maturity he saw when Dean was with Kristine.

When Nicholas and Alex were around, there was even more of a change. The boys came first, in the same way that Sam remembered always coming first when they were kids. Dean always made sure Sam had what he needed before he thought about himself, and he did the same with Nicholas and Alex. And then when other people were involved….It was almost like Dean and Kristine were the leaders of a large clan.

Sam suddenly realized he let Dean take on all the responsibility because that's what he was used to doing. He'd been fighting for his brother to see him as an equal, and even though Dean would always be _the big brother_, he had learned to treat Sam like an adult. Sam decided it was time he act like an adult at the estate, too.

"Anyone interested in going outside with me?" Sam asked. "Alex? Nicholas?"

"Can we go in the pool?"

Sam glanced at Kristine, but Ellen answered first. "I'm surprised you waited so long to ask. Go change."

Sam left the dining room with the boys, and when the three of them got outside, he saw Ellen and Bobby sitting at one of the nearby tables. He hadn't asked Bobby about it, but Sam was sure there was something going on between the two of them. He'd gotten that feeling before, but clearly, it was something Bobby didn't want to discuss.

-----

"Hi," Kristine smiled at Dean once they were alone. They'd helped Millie clean up as much as she would allow, and Kristine was now leaning back against the counter.

He returned the smile, and Kristine was struck by how it lit up his eyes. "Hey."

"Are you okay? Really?"

"Yeah." He touched the bandage on his neck. "This made Sam feel better, so…."

Kristine nodded, pretending to believe him. "Right. So, you wanna take a walk?"

"A walk?"

"To the cottage." She took a few steps toward him.

"Oh….the cottage." Dean said with a small smile.

"We can lock the door…." She took a few more steps.

"Yeah?"

Kristine wrapped her arms around his waist. "Yeah." She felt Dean's arms settle around her and his head rest on her shoulder. She rubbed his back gently. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm okay," he said quietly. "It's just been a hell of a few weeks."

"It has," Kristine agreed. "But Sam's okay, you're okay. The vampire is dead….It's over."

Dean pulled away slightly, but kept an arm around Kristine. "This is over, but there are still things to deal with."

"One thing at a time, Dean. And you have to take time to celebrate the victories, or they'll become meaningless."

He looked at her with a grin. "That's very profound for so late in the afternoon."

Kristine smiled at him, but she noticed he his expression had turned serious again. "What is it?"

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'm worried about Sam. He told me about the demon and trying to exorcise it. And he said his not walking could have been because he felt guilty about lying to me. But…Kristine, he's been lying to me for months. There's something going on with him, and…." He pulled away and shook his head. "And, believe it or not, I've tried to talk to him about it, but he just shrugs it off or makes something else up."

"I don't think you're being paranoid," Kristine said softly. "Sam probably is going through something. He was on his own for a while, and we know that wasn't easy for him. Maybe he's just trying to find his way again. As much as he loves you, having you back isn't without consequences."

"Consequences?"

"He was making all his own decisions before. Good or bad, they were all his. But his big brother is back. The same big brother who is used to taking charge. And besides all that, he has this power to deal with. You tell him it's bad, but he's been killing demons. Is that really so wrong?"

"I don't know," Dean admitted. "But I tell you one thing. I don't trust Ruby, and he seems to be in her back pocket. I don't like it."

"Yeah, I agree with you on that one."

"I don't want to think about it any more right now," Dean said after a moment. He pulled Kristine back into his arms and kissed her tenderly.

She smiled. "I adore you, Dean Winchester."

"Let's go to the cottage."

oooOOOooo

Sam moved into one of the bedrooms, and Kristine had all of the medical equipment removed. More than once, Dean had tried to convince Sam to undergo a complete examination, but Sam fought him on it. He'd not experienced any problems, nor was there even a hint of a relapse. Sam knew Dean was concerned, but he'd had enough medical tests in the last few weeks to last him a lifetime.

Keith and Angelica came for the boys two days later. Even though there were hunters at the estate, not to mention Kyle, Bobby and the Winchesters, Kristine was struck by how empty the house felt without the children.

Kyle and Bobby left together the next morning. Kyle had enjoyed a few days off, and was happy to have experienced the hospitality at the estate he'd heard so much about. Bobby seemed to be reluctant to leave, but he had things to get back to, and his car was still at Kyle's house.

As much as Dean enjoyed being in North Carolina and being with Kristine, he'd spent practically his entire life on the road and was never comfortable in one place for too long. He knew that Sam would let him make the decision about when it was time to leave, but a few days after Nicholas and Alex left, he could see the restlessness in his brother. He had to admit that it mirrored his own.

"You have any prospects on a job for us?" Dean asked. It was afternoon, and Kristine was due home from work in a couple of hours.

Sam glanced away from his computer when Dean walked into the bedroom he'd been using. "A few. You know how this place is when there are hunters around."

"Yeah," Dean sighed as he sat on the edge of Sam's bed. "I've heard quite a few stories I wouldn't mind checking out."

"I'm ready when you are, but I can wait."

Dean glanced around the room, not really seeing anything. "I gotta admit, I'm getting a little antsy."

Sam nodded noncommittally.

"I guess I'll never be comfortable with normal."

"Since when do you want normal?" Sam laughed.

Dean shrugged. "I sometimes think it might be nice. Then I miss the job."

"No one said normal had to mean giving up hunting completely and living behind a white picket fence," Sam said. "I used to think that's what it meant, but there are all kinds of normal."

"I guess."

"It's all what you make it. No reason you can't make this a home base and spend time here between jobs."

"What about you?"

Sam only shrugged, then turned to Dean after a moment. "Were you really willing to give up hunting if I hadn't been able to walk again?"

"Sam, no matter what, we're a team," Dean said with no hesitation. "You're my brother, and that's that. Now find us some work to do."


End file.
